


All I Want

by heliophiliahqs



Series: All I Want [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Blangst, Christmas, Holidays, Kooper Startgame, M/M, Slow Burn, klaine endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25870474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heliophiliahqs/pseuds/heliophiliahqs
Summary: AU. Blaine Anderson's holidays are shaping up to be just about perfect. However, a new addition to the festivities throws him for a loop.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Cooper Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Series: All I Want [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052303
Comments: 53
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

The winter that Blaine Anderson met Kurt Hummel, Blaine had only a vague understanding that complicated things can often disguise themselves as simple at first. Like an iceberg, living only partially on the surface while the impending danger looms underneath. Or like falling in love with the wrong person, unaware of all of the people that could be affected. That is perhaps why it's so hard to prepare for the complicated things, because they once appeared so simple. That was how Blaine found himself standing in the midst of a snowstorm, cheeks wet with tears as he stared at the other man. It was a blur, the only light coming from the moon and the flickering porch light. The words he had just spoken still hung in the air, as if he was repeating them over and over in the silence. "I love you, Kurt. Please ... Please don't go."

The beginning was simple. Blaine's 2011 Station Wagon rolled to a stop in front of the three story cottage, looking familiar yet foreign all at the same time. Like something he had once dreamed of. He got out of the car and rested his arm on the hood, inhaling deeply as a smile stretched across his face. He could already hear the sound of laughter from inside, and the excitement he felt made his heart feel lighter than it had in months. The memories that he had made here as a child were some that he treasured most dearly. From orange and white gingham tablecloths spread across four long tables and napkin turkeys on each plate, to huge Christmas trees surrounded entirely by stacks of presents and enough hot cocoa to last for weeks, this cottage was his home for the holidays. His grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all gathered into one house every year. When Blaine turned eight, the trips stopped entirely.

Sixteen years later, they were finally returning. Blaine had asked his mom once when he was older why they stopped going, and she had simply explained that his dad had a falling out with her parents, and they had mutually decided not to see them anymore. Blaine always had a feeling that that his mother had very little to do with that decision. That suspicion was further confirmed when his father passed away six months ago from a heart attack, and they were finally returning to the cottage.

Blaine felt a thrill when his mom had texted him and his older brother, Cooper, and informed them that she'd be attending Christmas with the family this year, and she would be delighted if they would both come as well. Blaine, a music education teacher at an elementary school in New York, replied immediately that he would be there. Cooper had given some very Cooper-like response about having to make sure he didn't have any life-changing auditions or essential reshoots he had to be present for. Three days later, he texted back and said he would be there.

Bags in tow, Blaine trudged up the snowy path, pushed open the front gate and made his way inside. His mother was the first person to greet him, hurrying out of the kitchen to throw her arms around him excitedly. He dropped his bags beside him and wrapped his arms around her, smiling into her dark hair, "Hi mom," He greeted and she pulled back to grab his cheeks in her hands.

"I'm so happy you're here!" Pam exclaimed, her eyes wrinkled in the corners from how brightly she was smiling.

She led Blaine up to the third floor where his room would be. It was on the small side, only a full size bed and a dresser. "Cooper and I are sharing this?" He asked curiously, lifting his bags up to rest on top of the bed. 

Pam shook her head as she took a seat on the edge of the bed, "Oh, Cooper called this morning to tell us he's bringing someone," She shrugged, and Blaine's eyebrows raised in curiosity. He hadn't know Cooper to be dating anyone, but truthfully that was kind of how he liked it. As soon as Blaine would get used to asking about one person, Cooper would have already broken up with them and be on to his next date. It wasn't that Cooper was a bad boyfriend, it seemed, just maybe that he had a few issues with commitment. He normally didn't bother bringing anyone around the family, especially if his significant other at the time happened to be male. They had their dad to thank for that, "They'll be next door."

"Oh, I hope I'm not putting anyone out," Blaine said nervously, but his mother quickly waved his concerns off.

"Please, all of your younger cousins were itching to share a room. That way they can stay up and tell ghost stories."

Pam was the youngest of five children, with two older sisters and two older brothers. Each were married and had children, leaving Blaine with 8 cousins. Cooper, Blaine, and two of those cousins were the only ones who weren't married with kids of their own, but the ones that did have families of their own resulted in him having 6 second cousins. Growing up, it felt like he hadn't had much of a family, but all of a sudden he had an extended family that he couldn't wait to get to know all over again. 

Pam informed Blaine that he had been unanimously elected to go pick up pizza for dinner, so he only had a few moments to settle in before heading back outside into the snow to make the five minute drive into town. Cape Elizabeth was kind of a sleepy town, especially when it came to wintertime. It was a little more bustling during the summer with a lot more tourist traffic, but the population was roughly around 10,000 -- probably fewer at the moment with people heading somewhere warmer for the holidays. It was home to some of the most photographed lighthouses in the world, and there weren't many corporate businesses. Mostly everything was owned and maintained by the residents of the town. It wasn't hard to find the local pizzeria, but it was rather full when he arrived. It was a Saturday night, and he felt a little guilty placing such a large order to the already busy restaurant. They let him know it would take about thirty minutes before it would be ready. To pass the time, he wandered across the street to a small bookstore.

He perused the stacks, his mind wandering at the idea of relaxing near a roaring fire, a mug of hot apple cider, and a good book in his hand. He was in the used book section and had about four already stacked in his grip when a voice broke him out of his thoughts, "Excuse me," Blaine turned to meet the source of the voice, "Um, hi. Can I ask you a question?"

Blaine felt overwhelmed at the sight of the man in front of him. He swallowed to coat his suddenly dry throat, "Sure, of course."

"I'm looking for something, like ... A little gift. Something to make a good impression, you know what I mean?" It was at this moment Blaine realized, with some amusement, that the man speaking to him thought that Blaine worked here in the book shop.

"Right. Yeah, um, what kind of stuff are they into?"

The other man looked away slightly, as if deeply in thought, "I ... Don't know," He admitted finally, and his cheeks took on a light pink tinge of embarrassment, "This is the first time I'm meeting them. I just need, like, a little thing to say, you know, "thank you for letting me spend the holidays with you while my dad is in the Bahamas". You know?"

Blaine held up a hand to stop the other man and then used it to gesture that he should follow him. He walked quickly up the aisle and stopped at one of the first aisles, making a quick right turn. He stopped in front of the stack of books, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on his lips before reaching forward and grabbing one at a time until he had three, "You can never go wrong with a coffee table book," He prefaced.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?"

"Number one," Blaine held ump his first choice, flashing the cover to the man before him, " _Vanity Fair: 100 Year Edition_ ," He handed it off to the other man, who took it between his fingerless glove clad hands and flipped through a couple pages, "Number two, _Joy! Photographs of Life's Happiest Moments_ ," the next book was handed over, "Or my personal favorite, _Penis Pokey_." Blaine handed over the last book, and the man's eyes went wide with surprise. He flipped the cover open and slowly flipped through the pages, all of amusing illustrations with a medium sized hole poked dead center in the middle for, well ...

The silence dragged on a little too long, and Blaine felt embarrassment settle over him quickly, "That one's just a joke."

To his relief, the other man looked back at him, blue eyes bright with amusement and he finally let out a laugh, "This is really good, actually," He admitted, though he handed it back to Blaine, "But not quite the first impression I'm looking to make. Maybe next Christmas." The man looked over the two choices still in his hands, before raising _Joy!_ up as his winner, "This one's perfect. Thank you, seriously." 

Together, they walked up to the cash register, and once there, Blaine rang the small bell on the front desk, and a young woman emerged from the back room to check them out. The other man looked between them slowly, and when recognition settled in, his cheeks burned brightly again. They said nothing as they each paid for their own purchases, and walked out of the store, "You could have told me you didn't work there!" The other man said sharply once they had left, accompanied with a light slap to his shoulder, and Blaine could only laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't want to make you feel embarrassed. I'm a total bookworm anyways, it wouldn't be a bad idea for a side hustle."

The other man shook his head, his cheeks still slightly red. His light brown hair was becoming dusted with snowflakes, and they came to a stop in front of the shop, "Well, thank you. I really appreciate your help."

Blaine shrugged as if to say it was no problem, and extended one hand out, "My name's Blaine."

"Kurt," The other man introduced himself, reaching forward to shake Blaine's extended hand.

"Kurt, well, could I make it up to you?" Blaine inquired, gesturing next door to a small coffee shop, "For misleading you about my occupation, and all."

The other man looked hesitant for a moment, looking down at his watch which lit up long enough for him to check the time. Blaine was sure he was keeping him from something. But before he could backtrack, Kurt was nodding, "That sounds great," He said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pea coat and his purchase hung loosely from his wrist. 

They sat together at a small table near the window, cups filled to the brim with coffee atop small saucers with Christmas designed cookies surrounding it. Blaine felt as if he couldn't take his eyes off of Kurt. His skin light as porcelain, his eyes bright with laugh lines already seeping in to the corners. He carried himself with confidence, a self assuredness that Blaine envied. When he spoke, Kurt's voice was melodic, "So you're not a bookstore clerk. What do you do for a living?"

Blaine allowed himself to look away from Kurt to dunk a gingerbread man cookie into his coffee and take a bite, "I'm a teacher," He said, "Elementary school. What about you?"

"I'm in fashion," Kurt replied simply. Blaine could see how that would be fitting. From the pea coat to the bright blue ascot to the white Doc Martens, everything about Kurt was impeccably put together. 

"Ah, hopefully you won't judge my outfit," He said with a laugh, "I think I got this cardigan three years ago."

Kurt waved his hand dismissively, "Not at all. We can't all be as trendsetting as I am." He was teasing, but 100% true.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, the two of them bouncing off of each other so easily it almost felt familiar. They discovered they were both from Ohio, both participated in their school's show choirs, and graduated only one year apart from one another, Kurt being one year older. When Blaine mentioned he had attended a private school in Westerville called Dalton, Kurt's eyes lit up with sudden curiosity, "That's so interesting, I looked into transferring there, actually," He had said, and Blaine felt a strange ache in his chest as he thought of meeting Kurt earlier, all those years ago in high school. An inquiry from Blaine brought Kurt to admit that he had looked to transfer after being the subject of homophobic bullying. The ache Blaine felt grew even further.

Without hesitation, which he normally felt when talking to new people, Blaine delved into his own personal story. Blaine had told his family and friends that he was gay at the age of 15, though he felt like he had known for so much longer than that. His public school was hosting a Sadie Hawkins dance, and he asked a friend of his who was the only other openly gay kid in their school to go with him. The dance itself had been nice, they got a few sideways glances here and there but still enjoyed hanging out with their friends. When the dance was over, however, they were waiting in front of the school for their ride, and were attacked by a group of upperclassmen.

"It was terrible," Blaine admitted, his eyes slightly unfocused as he spoke, "I broke my wrist and a few ribs. He had it worse, though. They broke his nose, tore his iris, he had to have surgery," He shook his head, looking down. He could see Kurt staring at him, one hand covering his mouth and deep sympathy in his eyes, "My parents started my transfer paperwork the next day. I never set foot back in that place."

"Blaine, I ... I'm so sorry," Kurt said quietly, reaching across the table and placing his hand on top of Blaine's. The touch sent a shiver up Blaine's spine.

Blaine shook his head, "Thank you," He admitted, smiling a little bit, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this all to get so ... Serious," He laughed.

"You don't have to smile," Kurt said seriously, though he was smiling a little bit in return, "And you certainly don't have to be sorry."

A familiar ringtone went off, and both Kurt and Blaine stirred, as if broken out of their trance they had been in. Blaine pulled his phone out of his pocket, found that it wasn't his ringing, but that he was about fifteen minutes late on picking up his pizzas. Kurt let out a breath and smiled apologetically at Blaine, "Sorry," He raised the phone to his ear and turned his head slightly, as if to make the conversation more private, "Hello?"

Blaine cleared his throat and typed out a quick text to his mom, letting her know he'd be home soon. He couldn't help but listen in on Kurt's phone call, "Yes, of course, I'm sorry. I'm a few minutes away ... Of course, yeah. See you soon." He hung up and was quick to stand. Blaine hurried to do the same, not quite ready to leave his side yet, "I'm so sorry, I lost track of time completely," Kurt admitted, grabbing his bag that contained his book off of the floor, "I have to go."

"Right, of course, but maybe I could ... Get your number!"

Kurt was out of the door, but Blaine was hot on his trail, "I don't ... I don't know if that's a good idea," Kurt said, crossing to his car. It looked like a rental, which meant Kurt probably didn't live here full time. They hadn't quite gotten to that part yet. 

Blaine's steps stuttered for a moment, feeling suddenly rejected that Kurt didn't want to see him again, "Oh."

Kurt looked back at him, his face apologetic, "I'm sorry, it's not ... I'm seeing someone," He said as he came to a stop by the car, "And it's ... It's new."

Nodding numbly, Blaine looked down at his feet, clearing his throat quickly, "It doesn't have to be ... Anything, you know, just ... Two people finishing a conversation. I don't know about you, but I don't ... I don't meet people I feel this connected to everyday."

Silence took over for just a moment, but the smile that found it's way to Kurt's lips made the tension in Blaine's shoulders relax. He reached into the rental car and grabbed a pen, and then fished his receipt from the bookstore out of his bag. He wrote down the numbers quickly and then handed it off to Blaine, who instantly tucked it into his pocket.

"I'm not here for very long," Kurt said, his voice soft, "So ... Call soon."

Kurt was in his car and driving away before Blaine could do anything more than wave goodbye. He took in a deep breath and glanced around, a smile stretching across his face as he hurried to the pizza parlor. He offered his apologies to the workers for being late for his pick up, before he headed back home, eight pizzas warming his front seat. Once there, he looked down at his phone, where his mom had replied to his text. 

_Great! Cooper got here a little after you left, he can't wait to see you._

Blaine walked inside, a spring in his step, and joyfully announced, "Pizza's here!" as he made his way into the kitchen. No sooner than he had set down the boxes were there about five sets of hands working on opening them up and grabbing slices out, comments of "I'm starving!" and "Finally!" exchanged to Blaine as a thank you. He didn't mind.

"Squirt!" Cooper's voice broke out across the room, and Blaine turned on his heel, excitement coursing through him as he saw his brother.

"Coop," He responded, walking forward and wrapping him in a tight hug. They hadn't seen each other since their father's funeral, and the thing Blaine was most excited to do during this trip was spend time with him. They had a bit of an age difference between them, 8 years, so they never were really as close as either one of them wanted to be.

"It's about time you turned up, I've been waiting here for like an hour!" Cooper returned the hug, tousling Blaine's hair a little as they pulled back. Pam joined in on the embrace, and Blaine was positive he hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

"Yeah, what took you so long? Was the wait terrible?" Pam asked, hands placing on her slender hips.

Blaine shook his head, "Not too bad, but um ... " He hesitated, wondering if he should even say anything. Against his better judgement, he continued, "I kind of ... Met someone."

"Really?" Pam inquired, her eyes bright and a smile on her lips.

"Here?" Cooper said in disbelief.

"Yeah ... I don't know. He gave me his number, but it's ... I don't know."

"You don't know?" Cooper parroted, looking at Blaine like he was crazy, "You've gotta hit him up, man. Not right now, of course, that'd be way too soon, but tomorrow!"

Pam nodded her agreement, "Absolutely."

"I don't know," Blaine repeated dumbly, his mind still focused on the fact that Kurt had said he was seeing someone.

"Hang on," Cooper said, leaving their embrace for a moment, leaving Blaine and his mom.

"Does he live here? Or is he in town visiting as well?" Blaine didn't have time to answer.

"Come on, we need your advice," Cooper's voice interrupted, and he pushed his way back into the kitchen, someone in tow, "Blaine here met a total hottie while he was out picking up pizzas," He explained, and Blaine rolled his eyes a little in embarrassment before his blood ran cold. The person Cooper had in tow, hands clasped between them, was looking at him with familiar bright blue eyes.

Kurt.

"Oh?" Kurt said, the same look of panicked recognition on his face that Blaine was sure was mirrored on his.

"Yeah, so we're trying to convince him that he should definitely hit him up, tomorrow, of course, not tonight."

Blaine finally seemed to find his voice, "No, no, it's not ... He told me he was seeing someone," He said stupidly, not sure of what else to say.

"Well, that's not your problem," Cooper retorted, looking to Kurt for a look of agreement.

Oh, if only that were the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not even Fall yet, but I've had this holiday plot rolling around in my head and wanted to get it out. It is inspired heavily by The Family Stone and Dan in Real Life. Thank you so much for taking the time to read!


	2. Chapter 2

Large red numbers blinked monotonously on the alarm clock beside Blaine's head, signalling it was 4:43 AM. To his annoyance, he really couldn't seem to fall back to sleep. 

The night passed painstakingly slowly after Blaine had seen Kurt again, this time holding hands with his brother. He sat at the kitchen table beside his mom, with Cooper and Kurt on the other side of her. Everyone chatted and laughed, and Blaine did his very best to participate but he couldn't help how awkward he felt. Kurt was fairly quiet too, but whether that was because he felt awkward about Blaine or because he was meeting so many people for the first time, Blaine wasn't sure. Blaine finished two slices of pizza before excusing himself, claiming that he was really tired after the drive and just wanted to get some sleep. He had tossed and turned for about an hour before managing to fall asleep fitfully. After only six hours, he was wide awake again.

Sitting up, Blaine swung his legs over the side of the small four-poster bed and stood up. He changed quickly into some running clothes, put his headphones in and headed downstairs to go for a jog. It was frigid, and early, and not ideal running weather, but if he didn't do _something_ , Blaine felt like he might just explode. He slid a beanie on, to keep his ears warm and help keep the cordless headphones in. A quick stretch later, Blaine was off running.

Blaine had been jealous of Cooper for as long as he could remember. About seemingly everything. He figured it was fairly common for a younger brother to sometimes feel envious of his older brother, but for Blaine, it seemed to be the root cause for so many of his insecurities growing up. It seemed like Cooper had life so easy. He was tall, strapping, and handsome. He was the object of nearly everyone's affections at school, he excelled in any activity he attempted, and even when he failed at something, he made it seem, somehow, that it was all okay. As brothers went, they were on par with being competitive with one another, but the significant age difference meant Blaine was more often the one to fall short, and truly, nothing infuriated him more. When Cooper turned 18, he moved out of their family home for college, which did help things for Blaine quite a bit. He was able to glory in his own accomplishments and focus less on his shortcomings. Then, after Cooper graduated, he began his search for fame.

That brought it's own complications on as Cooper was facing rejection for what felt like the first time ever. It wasn't until Blaine turned 16 that Cooper landed anything significant, a credit monitoring company commercial. It wasn't much, a 15 second spot with a catchy jingle. But it played every twenty minutes, and Cooper was _beyond_ proud of it. Sure, Blaine was proud of it as well, and of Cooper, but it _never_ ended. Although the commercial wasn't quite the stepping stone Cooper had hoped that it would be at first, it was enough. He booked a few more commercials, then a few background extra parts, even a two-episode arc on _Grey's Anatomy_ as a heart-transplant patient who didn't end up making it. That was when Blaine was 22, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't watched the episodes with jealousy pulsing through his veins. A month ago, Cooper had excitedly informed his family that he had landed a role as a series regular on _Days of our Lives_ , set to begin filming in the new year. An elementary music teacher gig seemed to pale in comparison.

Cooper also never really had trouble when it came to the relationship department. He had women and men alike flocking to him constantly. He was proudly bisexual, but had the tendency to be very quiet about his relationships when it came to their family. Blaine wondered if their father's passing made Cooper feel more like he could be himself, a good explanation as to why he brought Kurt along for the holidays despite the fact that their relationship was new.

Kurt.

Blaine shuddered in the cold as he found himself back in front of the cottage. He stopped, placed his hands on his hips and tried to catch his breath. The run hadn't done much except helped him kill thirty minutes and fill his lungs with cold air that made him ache. He trudged inside, got a bottle of water from the fridge, and made his way back up to the third floor. He pushed open the door to the bathroom, started the shower on the hottest setting and leaned over the sink to splash water onto his face. A tap on his shoulder took Blaine by surprise and he turned around quickly to find Kurt there, smiling sheepishly at him.

Blaine offered an awkward, half smile back. Kurt entered the bathroom fully and closed the door quietly behind him.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said as soon as he turned around, arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked younger than he had yesterday, slightly less secure in himself. He wore a dark green sweater and checkered pajama bottoms, and Blaine found him adorable, "I didn't ... I'd only heard your name once, never seen a picture or anything. I had no idea that you were Cooper's brother, I swear."

Blaine nodded, looking down at his hands and then back up at Kurt, "I know," He said honestly. Cooper wasn't active on Facebook, and there were no traces of Blaine on his Instagram (he had checked last night), "Oh, and by the way, I never called you a hottie," He said quickly, and he hoped that the rising heat on his cheeks was only due to the hot water producing steam in the bathroom, not that he was blushing. Kurt pursed his lips before letting out a laugh despite himself. Blaine laughed too, and he shook his head a little, one hand grazing through his loose curls, "If I had known ..." Blaine carried off, before sighing, "I never would have ... Cooper is a great guy."

"He is!" Kurt agreed quickly, hands wringing in front of him, "I do costume design. Just a few movies here and there, nothing big," He explained, "My good friend does costume design for _Days of our Lives_ , and she needed some extra help one day. I did a quick fitting for Cooper." 

"Oh, okay," came Blaine's simple reply, unsure really of what to say.

They were silent then, only the sound of the shower filling the room for a beat. Then Kurt spoke again, "What should we do?"

Blaine inhaled a little, and then smiled. There truly was no need for them to say anything about their interaction before being introduced at the cottage. All that would do would add more awkwardness to the air, "Nothing," He suggested, shrugging one shoulder, "I wanted to get to know you, as a friend. I still do, you told me last night that you were involved, that doesn't change knowing it's with my brother."

Much of the next two days passed without much excitement. Blaine spent most of his time reconnecting with his family, learning more about his cousins and reminiscing on memories with his aunts and uncles. He had gotten incredibly close with one cousin, Eloise, who had a one year old baby boy named Jack with her partner, Claire. As a family, they all had picked out a Christmas tree and decorated it, watched two Christmas movies, and gone sledding. The weather kept them mostly indoors, but on the fourth day of the vacation, the snow had finally stopped falling. There was a huge frozen over pond in the back yard, and everyone was really looking forward to going ice skating. Everyone, really, except Cooper.

Blaine had overheard him talking to Kurt next door while Blaine rummaged through the boxes stored in his closet that contained a few spare pairs of skates, as he hadn't brought any. "What if I fall? What if I break my arm, or-or my nose?" He couldn't hear Kurt's reply, only the sound of giggling a few moments later and what sounded like the bed springs squeaking. He tried to block out the noise, rustling a few papers louder than necessary as he searched. Once he had a pair of skates in his hands that matched his size, he made his way downstairs.

He couldn't remember the last time he had gone ice-skating, and Blaine found himself very unstable as he first got on the ice. He held his arms straight out to his sides as he tried to shuffle along, much to the amusement of his aunts and mom who were cuddled up on the side of the pond, hot chocolate in hand. His younger cousins had no problem at all, zooming around each other, two of them hitting a hockey puck back and forth with makeshift hockey sticks out of large tree branches.

By the time Blaine was feeling more sure-footed, Kurt and Cooper had joined everyone beside the pond. He stopped as he passed them on another lap around, watching in amusement as Kurt strapped on a pair of old skates, a far cry from his normal standard of footwear, "Come on out, Coop," He invited, doing a little spin, "The ice is fine."

"Please," Cooper scoffed, "This is the moneymaker, Blaine," He gestured to his face, "That ice looks choppy as hell, one good fall and the _Days_ producers might change their minds. Can't have that now."

"Don't even bother," Kurt interjected, standing up on wobbly legs, sending a playful glare in Cooper's direction, "He doesn't want to be any fun at all," He teased, taking a step forward. He slipped as soon as his skate hit the ice, and Blaine lurched forward, arms wrapping around Kurt's slender waist to keep him from falling. Kurt was laughing, using Blaine's chest to push himself back up, "Oh god, this is harder than I remember."

Blaine's eyes flickered quickly back to Cooper, who was watching the two of them with amusement in his eyes. He offered a little smile, moving his arms back, "Wait, no, help me!" Kurt exclaimed, holding onto Blaine's arms in a tight grip, "There's nothing to hold onto, I need you to be my wall."

"Okay, okay," Blaine laughed, shaking his head a little and moving beside Kurt, one arm snaked around Kurt, keeping him up. He took in the sweet smell of his cologne, something minty and musky. They began their first trip around the pond, stopping every few feet as Kurt nearly lost his footing, held up only by Blaine's grip on him, "For a person who was in glee club, you don't seem to have very good balance. Didn't do much dancing, huh?"

Kurt laughed a little, though his eyes were more focused on his feet, "We did much more dancing then you did, Mr. Acapella-Jazz-Square," He retorted, finally looking over at Blaine, "Your mom showed me a video the other night. _Hey Soul Sister_."

Blaine rolled his eyes, "Mom," He mumbled, and then let out a little laugh, "I was a Sophomore then, I like to think I improved through out the years."

"Let's talk about the hair gel."

"Let's not."

Kurt laughed, and he left Blaine's embrace ever so slightly, more confident in his skating now. Blaine's hand rested on the small of Kurt's back, his other hand holding onto Kurt's arm, "You're insanely talented," Kurt said kindly, "Your kids are lucky to learn from you."

Blaine's heart fluttered, "You're nice," He replied, "I learn more from them everyday than they do from me, I'm sure. But I had so much fun performing back then. Not that I think of high school as my glory days or anything. It was just so fun to get to do it all the time."

They skated in silence for a while, Kurt gaining more and more confidence with each lap they made. Blaine felt disappointed as Kurt eventually let go of him completely, and he broke the silence, "Well, in all fairness, you should probably sing for me now."

"Uh-uh," Kurt said quickly, unfazed, "Number one, you didn't actually sing for me, I just watched a recording. Number two, I haven't sung for anyone except my shower head in a few years. I probably forgot how to."

"Not true," Blaine retorted, skating a little bit quicker to get ahead of Kurt, turning around and trying his hand at skating backwards. It was harder than it looked, "You're telling me if I didn't start blasting some _Wicked_ or _Hamilton_ , you wouldn't feel inclined to join in?"

Kurt's eyes narrowed as he watched Blaine, though a faint smile tugged at the right corner of his lips, "Well, who wouldn't sing along to _Hamilton_?"

They laughed together, Blaine falling back into stride with Kurt. They went around one more time before Kurt was coming to a stop, looking around, probably for Cooper. Blaine stopped too, staring out at his family members. "I'm really happy to be here."

Blaine could feel Kurt look over at him, though he didn't look back. "Me too," He agreed, "Your family has been so wonderful to me."

Blaine didn't reply. He just wanted to take in how he felt at the moment. He opened his mouth, about to tell Kurt that he was another reason Blaine was happy to be here, but the other man jumped a little from beside him, and they turned together to see Cooper standing there, having grabbed Kurt's waist and taken him by surprise, "Listen, if I fall, you can't make fun of me. I mean, I could get a nose job and be just as handsome as I am now, but my pride may never recover if you laugh at me too much."

Kurt's face broke out into a wide smile and he clapped his hands together excitedly, reaching out to take Cooper's hands in his, "Come on, I'll make sure you stay on your feet." They took off together, neither of them completely sure-footed but laughing and holding each other as they went. Blaine couldn't take his eyes off of them, no matter how badly he wanted to. 

"You like him," a voice came from Blaine's side, and it was his turn to jump. Eloise stood there, Jack in a carrier that strapped to her chest, both of them bundled up to keep warm. She bounced the baby up and down, following Blaine's gaze to Cooper and Kurt.

"Who, Kurt?" Blaine questioned, sounding not even slightly believable, he was sure, "No, not at all. I think he's great! He and Cooper seem ... Great together." Eloise responded with a look of disbelief that would be condescending coming from anyone else. She linked her arm with Blaine's, giving it a little squeeze, but said nothing. Blaine swallowed hard, looking down at his skates and squeezing Eloise's arm tighter to his. Jack reached out and grabbed onto Blaine's scarf, fisting it and raising it up to his mouth, "Pretty obvious, huh?"

"Not to everyone, I think," She replied, reaching up to grab Jack's arm and pull it back, though he had already gotten a little wet spot on the red material, "But the way you stare at him with the widest, sweetest heart-eyes I've ever seen is enough to make me want to burst into tears every time I see you two." 

They both looked across the ice as Kurt let out a loud laugh, Cooper having taken a tumble and was sitting on the pond, whining playfully about his soon-to-be bruised tailbone. Charlotte, a second cousin who was about six, skated past them and Cooper grabbed her, tickling her mercilessly as she let out squeals of delight. Kurt watched them, a huge smile on his face.

"He's the guy," Blaine said thoughtfully, "That I met the first night we were here. I couldn't believe my terrible luck when I saw him here, holding hands with Coop. I felt so stupid, but I thought I would just snap out of it, knowing he's with my brother. But ... "

He carried off. But he knew he didn't have to say anything more, Eloise knew what he was thinking, "Come on," She said, gesturing her head towards the house, "Let's go warm up by the fire, Jack gives great cheer-up cuddles."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter for mentions of canonical character death including Kurt's mother and Finn, as well as the death of Blaine's father. There will also be discussions of homophobia.  
> Here is a link to Judy Garland's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY if you would like to listen to it in time with the story at the end of the chapter.

Sunday brought a return of the snow, and hardly anyone bothered venturing out of the cottage for most of the day. Cooper and Kurt had been planning on going out for a few days now, both of them excited to see some of the local lighthouses along with other sights Kurt had never seen, and they weren't going to let their plans be ruined by the snow. They had left early that morning before Blaine had even gotten out of bed, and soon it was 9 PM with still no sign of them. Blaine couldn't believe how much he missed Kurt's presence, always looking around for him when he entered a room or wishing he was there when something funny happened to hear his laughter or see his smile. The realization of that made Blaine want to shove his face into a pillow and scream.

The entire family had just finished watching _Elf_ when the door was opening, accompanied with a cold gust of wind that made everyone cling a little bit tighter to their blankets. Cooper walked in first, one hand holding his cell phone up to his ear, talking a mile a minute. Kurt walked in after, mouth turned downwards into a frown. The family greeted them as they walked in, but Cooper beelined to the stairs, taking them two at a time to get all the way to the top. Kurt smiled at everyone, the frown disappearing so quickly Blaine probably could've convinced himself he had imagined it. He sat down in an empty armchair.

"How were the lighthouses, Kurt?" Pam asked, her voice quiet as she rocked a newly-sleeping Jack back and forth.

"They were breathtaking," Kurt replied, a light smile gracing his features, "Especially Portland Head Light. The rugged cliff side, the sky, the grounds completely white from the snow, it was unforgettable," He looked towards the stairs that Cooper had disappeared up, and when he looked back at the group, his smile didn't reach his eyes, "It was absolutely freezing though, we couldn't be out for longer than an hour before we had to get back in the car to warm up."

"Oh, I love that one," Pam cooed, her eyes glancing up towards the ceiling as if she was imagining it in her head, "Was the restaurant right there serving their lobster rolls? They are legendary."

"Yes! I had-" Kurt was interrupted by Cooper, hurrying back down the stairs, covering the mouthpiece of his phone with his hand, mouthing Kurt's name while snapping and gesturing wildly with his other hand for his bag, which had been dropped haphazardly in the entryway. Kurt got to his feet, retrieved a magazine from the inside of the bag and handed it to Cooper, who turned on his heel and hurried back up once he had removed it from Kurt's hand. The entire family watched the exchange quietly.

"Time for bed, kiddos," Savannah, Blaine's oldest cousin, declared finally, interrupting the brief but awkward silence that settled over the room, standing up and clapping her hands together. 

"Aw, mom!"

"20 more minutes!"

"Nope!" She disagreed, walking through the pile of children spread out on the floor and touching each of her own on the head, "Teeth brushed, PJs on in ten, or else Santa might forget where we are and leave everyone's presents at home."

Giggles filled the room as the little ones all got up, prompted by their parents. Charlotte, who had watched the movie with her head resting on Blaine's lap, walking her Barbie across his knees on the parts she found boring, sat up with a yawn, giving Blaine a little hug before joining her cousins. Now, with a vacancy on the couch beside Blaine, Kurt collapsed beside him, "What movie is next?"

" _Meet Me in St. Louis_!" Blaine exclaimed without hesitation, and a groan rippled across the remaining people left in the room.

"Blaine used to make us watch that three times per trip when we were kids," Eloise explained to a shocked-looking Kurt, "I think he has every single one of Judy Garland's lines memorized. Not to mention the year he performed ' _The Trolley Song_ ' for the family talent show, complete with the same rousing dance moves."

Blaine didn't have time to be embarrassed, as another cousin, Luke, was cutting in, "Yeah, and it's hardly a Christmas movie, you know. Only the end even takes place during Christmas time."

"Of course it's a Christmas movie!" Kurt interjected before Blaine could, "The snowmen, the Christmas Eve Ball, _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_?" He reminded incredulously, and Blaine turned back to his family with a haughty smirk, happy that someone was finally on his side.

Pam shook her head as she stood up, passing the sleeping baby to Claire, "I, for one, agree with Luke. _Die Hard_ is not a Christmas movie, and neither is _Meet Me in St. Louis_ ," She gave Blaine a kiss on the top of the head and reached out to grab Kurt's hand, giving it a squeeze, "Goodnight boys."

Blaine smiled and bid her goodnight before standing up and making his way to the TV. He took out the _Elf_ DVD and traded it for the _Meet Me in St. Louis_ VHS tape. As it started to play the opening credits, Blaine's face stretched into a smile at the nostalgia that it brought. Taking his seat beside Kurt, Blaine gave the screen his undivided attention. His cousins, however, didn't share the same sentiment. No sooner than the first musical number began did they each get up to take their leave. "I gave it my best shot," Luke defended himself as he made his way to the stairs. Eloise sent Blaine a warning glance as she left, but Blaine pretended not to see it. 

The cottage grew quiet within moments. Everyone upstairs seemingly settled in for the night rather quickly, and the snow fell silently outside. The lit Christmas tree beside the TV bathed the room in colorful lights, and Kurt and Blaine sat in a comfortable silence. Blaine was the one to finally break it, "What's Cooper up to?"

"Oh, busy being a movie star, I guess," Kurt retorted dryly, looking over at Blaine and giving a short, humorless laugh, "His manager called him around two and told him that he has some sort of an interview for a magazine. A real "groundbreaking, take-no-prisoners exposé", apparently. Who knew people were jonesing for information about someone they probably haven't heard of yet?"

Blaine felt sympathetic. He knew first hand how single-minded Cooper could be when it came to anything that had to do with his career. "Two years ago, Coop and I went on a trip to Chicago. He spent an entire day trying to get in contact with Oprah, sure that she would be interested in him after he was on Grey's Anatomy. I think we exchanged about five sentences the entire day. And then he found out that she had sold her Chicago home the year before."

Kurt laughed, a real one this time, and shook his head, "The price of fame, huh?"

Blaine wasn't trying to make fun of Cooper, especially to his boyfriend, and he hoped that Kurt didn't take it that way. He wanted to say something to clarify that point, but Kurt spoke before he could, "It's his big break. People would do anything for this type of opportunity. There's always a little give and take, right?"

"Right."

The quiet took over again. Then, Kurt began to sing along quietly, accompanied with exaggerated arm gestures in time with Judy Garland's. Blaine quickly realized he was making fun of him, "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell. Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings. From the moment I saw him I fell."

Blaine flushed, looking over at Kurt to give him a playful glare, "I was seven, and it was adorable," He defended himself, "Maybe I'll have to revive it for everyone this year since it was clearly so memorable back then."

"Wait, so this talent show is a yearly Christmas tradition?" Kurt questioned, hands dropping back to his lap.

"Oh absolutely," Blaine said with a nod, "And don't think you're getting out of it. Even newcomers have to participate."

Kurt's nose crinkled a little in what was probably distaste, "A talent? I suppose I could sew a button that fell off of the sleeve of my coat the other day. But that's the most you're going to get out of me."

Blaine laughed, "Come on. You and Cooper could do a dramatic reading of one of his scripts ... Or I'd love to see a reenactment of McKinley High's 2011 Sectionals, particularly Michael Jackson's ABC." 

Kurt was glowering, that much Blaine could tell in the dark, but he was fairly positive that he would probably be blushing as well if he could see him, "How did you-"

"YouTube."

"Ah."

Blaine smiled, "You guys were great. I can see why you guys won Nationals that year. We didn't even get invited to Regionals that year. Otherwise, maybe we would have met sooner."

"Yeah," Kurt said thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side, "But back then we would have been sworn enemies. We wouldn't have been able to strike up such a rousing friendship," He pointed out, and Blaine shrugged one shoulder, "Well, I don't know about this talent show business. I may be mysteriously ill that night and have to stay up in my room until the performances wrap up."

"Spoilsport," Blaine teased, finally looking away from Kurt and back at the TV. It was the Halloween portion of the movie, which was his least favorite part, "Is your dad enjoying the Bahamas?"

Kurt looked surprised, perhaps he didn't know that Blaine would remember being told that. It had been mentioned in passing, after all, "He definitely is. We didn't vacation much when I was a kid, but now I think he's really gotten a taste for it. Especially all-inclusive resorts where he doesn't have to prepare or pay extra for food. Oh, and yesterday he got one of those cupping massages. We'll see if I can ever get him to go home."

Blaine chuckled, "What about your mom, is she having fun?"

"Step-mom. But yes, she seems like she's been having a great time, too. She's on her third book already."

"That sounds like a wonderful holiday to me. Do you still see your mom much?"

"She died when I was eight," Kurt said, and Blaine visibly tensed. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Kurt was quick to fill the silence, "Don't worry about it. You're not a psychic, how would you have known?" He waved it off, "My dad is my best friend, we took care of each other while I was growing up. We didn't have family like this," He gestured around the room, "Just me and dad. I envy this a little bit. But when I was in high school, I introduced him to Carole, and they ended up getting married a few years later. I got a step-brother out of the deal, too."

"Oh, wow. Where's your step-brother spending his holidays?"

"He died, too."

Blaine let out a slow breath, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck, "Kurt, I'm so sorry. Give me a second to remove my ridiculously large foot from my somehow even larger mouth," He said, and to his relief Kurt let out a soft laugh.

"It's okay, Blaine," Kurt said, reaching a hand over to rest on top of Blaine's. A little thrill ran up his spine as Kurt gave his hand a single squeeze before releasing it, "But thank you for saying that. Finn, my step-brother, was probably the first "cool" kid to ever really give me the time of day. He was our high school quarterback, and god, was I in love with him," He continued, a far away look in his eyes as he looked towards the falling snow through the window. Blaine's eyebrows raised curiously, "But he was there for me for everything after that, after I got over that crush. My dad's health issues, my first break up, everything. He was taken away from us a few years ago."

Blaine stared at Kurt as he spoke, studying his profile. Blaine felt like he was seeing the side of Kurt that gave him a hardened edge to him. He hadn't had the easiest time growing up, that much was obvious, and though he had such a kind and soft demeanor, his past traumas clearly attributed to the guarded, private man who was before him. He was complicated and beautiful. "I'm sorry," Blaine repeated, "Coop and I haven't always had the easiest relationship. The age difference and everything, but I could never imagine losing him. He helped me ... So much through our dad's death. My relationship with my dad wasn't so great."

It was then that Blaine realized he and Kurt had shifted how they were sitting. They had turned so they were almost completely facing each other, Kurt had one leg curled up underneath him and was resting his elbow on the back of the couch with his hand propping his head up. Blaine's side was relaxed into the cushions of the couch, hands resting in his lap. It felt so intimate and familiar, and it wasn't lost on him that if he leaned over just a little bit, his lips could connect with any stretch of soft pale skin of Kurt's face or neck. He wet his lips, feeling his throat suddenly dry. Kurt was talking, and Blaine had to shake his head a little bit to refocus his thoughts.

"- hasn't really talked much about it. We were talking about how my dad was when I came out and he just ... Shut down," Kurt reflected, looking down and picking at a stray string that was coming loose from his blanket, and Blaine realized they were talking about Cooper. It was enough of a realization that Blaine felt guilt swell in his chest at the thoughts he'd just been having, "But he did mention he was ... Less than accepting. Particularly of you."

"Yeah," Blaine confirmed, "There was always hope for Cooper, I guess. Hope that he would choose to ultimately settle down with a woman, appear straight. Not for me, though. I was a lost cause."

Kurt smiled sympathetically. Judy Garland's voice began to fill the room as she sang _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_. It was Blaine's favorite part of the movie and his favorite Christmas song. Yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Kurt's soft gaze. 

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light._

"So ..." Kurt carried off, changing the subject, "Is there anyone special in your life right now?"

"I - no. No, not really," Blaine stumbled over his words, finally looking away from Kurt's eyes to look at his hands instead. His cheeks flushed a little, whether it was from embarrassment or nerves, he couldn't be sure. He shook his head, "I guess I'm just sort of waiting, right now."

"Waiting? For what?"

Blaine looked back up, shrugging a little and feeling the embarrassment increasing, "Waiting for the moment where you just kinda go ... 'Oh. There you are ... I've been looking for you forever.'" Blaine's eyes finally raised, locking once again with Kurt's. The look in his eyes was unreadable. He could have sworn he saw the desire that he felt reflected back at him, but that couldn't be ... Could it?

_Next year all our troubles will be miles away._

He wasn't thinking straight, that much was obvious. The room was warm, the music was swelling, and Kurt was so beautiful. His hands had been flexing in his lap, and when he couldn't stand it anymore, one hand lifted slowly and he brushed the backs of his fingers against Kurt's cheek. All of the times he had imagined what it must feel like, to reach out and touch, didn't hold a candle to actually doing it. Kurt's skin was soft and warm, and he felt Kurt's sharp intake of breath. He should have pulled away then, but Kurt was relaxing into his touch, turning his face into the embrace ever so slightly. Blaine's hand turned, the flat of his palm caressing his supple cheek and Kurt's lips brushed against the inside of Blaine's wrist. Gooseflesh broke out on Blaine's arms.

_Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more._

"Kurt!"

Blaine's hand jerked back so quickly it was like he had been burned. Footsteps thundered down the steps, probably disrupting the entire household, but surely Cooper didn't even notice. Kurt turned, looking towards the staircase as Cooper emerged into the room, arms open and a proud smile on his face, "My god, the interview was amazing! She told me I was charismatic, beguiling, and magnetic! When we get home, I have a photo shoot, and they guaranteed me a spot on the cover! Not the main story, of course, but one of those little ones on the side that are always more interesting, anyways."

"Wow!" Kurt sounded breathless, and as he stood up, Cooper was quick to envelop him into a hug. Over Kurt's shoulder, Cooper sent him a huge grin. Blaine tried his best to smile back.

"Come on, I screen recorded it so we can listen!" Cooper and Kurt's fingers interlaced, as he directed him up towards the stairs, "Thanks for keeping Kurt company, squirt! I owe ya!"

Blaine didn't respond, but squeezed his eyes shut. He leaned forward, dropping his head into his hands and shaking it from side to side, "What am I doing?"

_Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow, so have yourself a merry little Christmas now._


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, Blaine's lungs were filled with the undeniable ache that came from gulping in deep breaths of cold air on an early morning jog. When he entered the cottage, he walked straight for the kitchen, tunnel vision in full effect as music pounded loudly in his headphones. The orange juice was nearly finished, so he drank it straight from the carton, head tilting back as he chugged it down. His mind had been racing ever since he dragged himself to bed the night before, Kurt and Cooper taking up every inch of his thoughts, even in his dreams. Last night had been so close, too close, and Blaine knew he had tiptoed across the line. One moments delay from Cooper and Blaine was positive he would have completely leapt across the line. 

To Blaine's surprise, as he went to throw the orange juice carton in the garbage can, he found that Cooper was seated at the kitchen counter. His forehead was creased, looking deep in thought and his glasses he used to read were perched on the tip of his nose. His attention was focused almost entirely on his laptop. Blaine reached up and removed a headphone, still trying to catch his breath as he greeted, "Morning, Coop."

Cooper looked up as if he hadn't noticed Blaine's entrance either. His face broke out into a grin, "Hey, squirt, what's up?"

Blaine wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, "Not much, just went for a jog."

A beat of silence followed and then Cooper, who had turned his attention back to his laptop, hummed out a simple, "Mm-hm."

Convinced Cooper was pouring over a script or reading comments online about himself, Blaine turned to head out of the kitchen, not convinced the conversation would continue further. "Wait, Blaine, come here," Cooper called out, stopping Blaine in his tracks. He turned around slowly and looked at Cooper with an expectant eyebrow raise. Cooper just gestured for him, patting the bar stool next to him and turning the computer so they could both face it. Blaine trudged forward slowly, a feeling of unexpected dread raising in his chest. He and Cooper really hadn't spent much time together on the trip yet, especially not without Kurt there. Because of this, Blaine felt like he was able to smother the feelings of guilt he knew he should be feeling.

To his surprise, Cooper was clicking between six or seven tabs. As Blaine took his seat, he leaned in to read them. _35 Stylish Gifts for Stylish Men. What is the best gift for my boyfriend? 14 Gifts Gay Men Actually Want. 94 Unique Gifts That Will Leave Your Boyfriend Speechless._

"I'm struggling here," Cooper admitted under his breath, raising a hand to brush his hair off of his forehead, "We talked about it, and at first we decided that maybe we didn't want to do gifts this year," He explained, "Kurt says, you know, we really haven't been dating that long, there shouldn't be any pressure, we're already spending the holiday together which we wouldn't have done if his dad wasn't on vacation. And I totally get where he's coming from, you know, but …" He carried off, scrolling through a page entitled _Christmas Presents for the Man Who Has Everything._ "I don't wanna screw it up, you know? I want to get him something anyways. Something that says … I'm happy with how things are going. You know?"

It felt as though someone had entered the kitchen and poured ice water down Blaine's back. He felt rooted in his chair, fingernails digging so hard into his own palms that he was sure he was breaking the skin. It felt as if for the first time he was realizing that Kurt was in a relationship with Cooper. Sure, he had known it all along, in the back of his mind, pushing it deep down so that he didn't have to feel the guilt and awkwardness. But all of a sudden, he was starting to truly come to terms with it. Kurt wasn't just in a relationship with some random guy Blaine didn't know, this was _Cooper_. His brother. Sure, they didn't always have an incredibly close relationship, but that was no excuse. They were supposed to be there for each other, have each others back without fail. 

Blaine tried to swallow, feeling like his tongue was suddenly made of sandpaper. "For sure," He managed, batting away a droplet of sweat that formed on his temple. He leaned in, resting his chin in his palm and looking through the different listed items on the article. Cooper was right to be struggling, none of these presents exactly screamed 'Kurt.' Kurt wasn't the type of guy that you could just get a fancy cologne, or a set of bookends. He was so special, and a present for him should reflect that, "You know, I'm not … Totally sure, either. He's very fashionable, maybe you could get him a scarf or … Some cufflinks, maybe?"

Cooper didn't look all too satisfied, probably hoping that Kurt had confided in Blaine a present that he had really wanted or that Blaine would just have a better knowledge of gifts that a gay man might enjoy. "Yeah, a scarf would be nice," Cooper agreed, tilting his head from side to side thoughtfully.

Blaine hesitated for just a moment, before clearing his throat, "So … Things are going pretty well with you too, huh?"

Finally, Cooper's attention was able to be drawn away from his laptop and the smile that crossed his features was genuine, "Kurt's … He's amazing," He explained carefully, "He's so fun and exciting and interesting. He's so funny and incredible to be around. You like him too, right?" Cooper asked, looking to Blaine and looking all of a sudden serious, "I mean, you guys have kind of hung out a lot, you think he's cool?"

Blaine watched his brother as he spoke, the earnest look that took over his features and how sincere he sounded. He debated, for the briefest of moments, admitting to him that _of course_ he liked him, and maybe they liked him in a very similar way, and he kind of thought Kurt had feelings for him too. But no. He couldn't. He couldn't believe, even for a second, that he had been considering ruining his brother's relationship. If he had admitted that he did have feelings for Kurt, Blaine wasn't sure how Cooper would take it. Would he get angry? Would he think it was funny? Would he step aside, let Blaine and Kurt have a chance at a relationship?

"He's awesome," Blaine replied sincerely, reaching out to clap a supportive hand on Cooper's shoulders. The older man visibly relaxed, and Blaine realized that Cooper was looking for a seal of approval from him. He genuinely cared that Blaine liked Kurt.

"Good," Cooper said with a breathy laugh, straightening up, "I'm, like, eight years older than him. Is that weird?"

Blaine smiled a little bit, though it didn't feel entirely genuine, "It's not weird. In ten years, when you're in your forties and he's in his thirties, it won't be feel weird."

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "I mean, let's not get ahead of ourselves. He's cool, but I'm not getting down on one knee anytime soon or anything. I'm not even in love with him." Cooper returned back to his laptop, searching for the Brook's Brothers website and perusing the scarves.

Blaine let out a breath, sliding off of the bar stool and muttering to Cooper that he was going to take a shower.

As afternoon came around, the sun had peeked out from behind the clouds and the snow began to warm, turning the surface layer into slush. Almost everyone had bundled up in their warmest clothes and headed over to the neighbors' house, whose backyard had a huge hill that was perfect for sledding. Blaine had stayed behind, opting instead to curl up near the roaring fireplace and start on one of his many books that he had purchased his first night, seeing as he hadn't made a dent in any of them yet. His old copy of Little Women had been lent to an ex-boyfriend who never thought to return it after an awkward break-up and he had found a second hand copy at the bookstore that night that he had instantly snatched up. He chose to read that first, though it was probably his six or seventh time, instead of diving into a new book, finding comfort in the knowledge of exactly how the story would end.

The clear of a throat broke Blaine's concentration, and he looked up to see Kurt standing in the entryway. He offered a shadow of a smile, "Can I come in?"

Blaine straightened up, adjusting the pillow he was propped up against and gave a nod. He gestured to the open seats in the room, "Of course." He didn't let his eyes linger on Kurt as the taller man ambled into the room, finding a spot and sitting down. He instead focused down to the words on the page, trying to give them his undivided attention. He read the first line on the page once, twice, and then a third time before his mind finally processed what the words actually said. 

Kurt was silent at first, Blaine's silence was probably less than encouraging, before he piped up, "You didn't want to go sledding with everyone?"

Blaine set his book down in his lap, "Not today, no," He said, "I got all of these books and haven't cracked a single one. Normally it's one of my favorite parts of any vacation, and I've really neglected it so far. Just trying to catch up."

A silence followed, and Blaine looked back towards his book without picking it up to avoid feeling quite so awkward, "What about you? Not in a sledding mood?"

"I guess not. One time in high school, some guys in the Glee Club convinced everyone to go night sledding. There was this big hill behind the football field. I conceded, and probably shouldn't have, because my second trip down the hill I sailed straight into a tree and nearly broke my leg. I think I'm soured on the experience now," Kurt mused, a little bit of a smile meeting his lips, "Cooper didn't feel much like going either, he went into town. I actually need to go too, but I was hoping maybe I could convince you to join me?"

Blaine knew at once that that probably wasn't a very good idea. But he was a gentleman, and far too polite to turn the request down, "Oh yeah?" He sat up a little straighter, placing his bookmark to mark his spot, "Well, sure, I can do that. Anything you're wanting to do in particular?"

"I need to find Cooper a Christmas present, actually," Kurt said with a defeated sigh, "And well, you're his brother, so maybe you would have a better idea of what he would like?"

Kurt and Blaine both bundled up and were out the door about ten minutes later. Once in town, Blaine claimed a parking spot and they began their search for an appropriate gift. Of course, Blaine normally had a pretty good grip on what Cooper typically liked, but he normally was able to visit some of Cooper's favorite New York stores and find him something there. The shops in this sleepy town called for a little more searching. By the third store, Kurt was losing steam, having considered buying him a throw blanket that Blaine knew Cooper probably wouldn't look twice at.

They tried an antique shop next, floor to ceiling stacked with tables, chairs, and other fixtures that made the entire room feel a little claustrophobic. Blaine walked in one direction while Kurt took the other, searching high and low for something appropriate. He stopped to admire a brightly colored vase, casting a small glance over at Kurt who was doing the same to some windchimes. His conversation and thoughts from earlier when he spent some time with Cooper replayed constantly in his head, it felt like everything had shifted since the previous night. Now, it felt like alarm bells going off in his head, a warning that his actions could hurt people -- a lot of people, including himself. Kurt gave a loud sigh, turning on his heel and walking back over to Blaine, "Anything?"

Blaine shook his head, offering Kurt a little smile, "Unfortunately, no. I'm sorry, Kurt, I don't think I'm being much help."

They exited the store and fell into step with each other, walking down the snowy sidewalk. Blaine tucked his hands into his pockets, squinting a little at the sun that was still out, "No, you're great. I just wish I had thought ahead a little. We agreed not to do presents, but I overheard Cooper talking to your mom about the scarf he got me after breakfast. Now I'm kind of scrambling." Silence overcame them again. They stopped in front of a bakery, and Blaine ogled the treats that were laid out on display. "Blaine …" Kurt began, giving a little clear of his throat, "Can I ask you something?"

Blaine had been dreading this. He was sure that Kurt was going to ask him about last night, ask him if he had feelings for him, try to let him down gently while explaining awkwardly that Blaine knew he was with Cooper. He looked away from the pastries in the window to meet Kurt's eyes and nodded once.

"It's a little complicated," Kurt prefaced, "See, not too long ago, a friend of mine reached out to me and informed me of an open job position. I didn't give it much thought, I'm happy where I am and doing what I do, but she insisted that it would be a really good fit for me," He explained, and Blaine's eyebrows knit together in confusion. This wasn't quite the direction he expected this conversation to go, "She lives in New York, and she has a friend who is a Rockette, and their costume designer decided it was time to retire, so there's an opening. I applied not in total seriousness, but also just to kind of see if I had what they're looking for, no real harm in it, and well … I got it," He was smiling now, shy but proud, looking down at his shoes with a pink tinge rising in his cheeks, "Six separate interviews later, that is. It wouldn't start until next season, the beginning of the summer, but they want an answer by January 10th."

Blaine waited, but Kurt didn't expand any further. He wasn't entirely sure what Kurt was looking for here, reassurance? Encouragement? "So that would mean you'd … Move to New York?"

"Right," Kurt said, sounding a little out of breath, "Probably around February or March. I started off in New York, you know? I had Big Broadway dreams and I was in love with the city. Rachel, my friend who told me about the job, and I moved out there right after high school, we both went to NYU, but then I was offered a job in fashion after graduation and that took me to LA, and … That was the end of it," He shrugged, looking at Blaine carefully, waiting for his reaction, "I always dreamed of going back, and this could be my chance. And I mean, the Rockettes? Come _on_. This could be my job, my career, for the rest of my life."

"Wait, but, what about Cooper?" Blaine asked, his voice taking on a sharp edge to it that he didn't necessarily intend, "His show films in LA, he can't … Go to New York with you."

Something not quite readable crossed Kurt's face. His eyebrows narrowed, "Yeah, I … Yeah," He stumbled over his words, "I mean, people do the long distance thing all the time, but also, you know, we really haven't been dating that long-"

"So you're going to dump him?" Blaine presumed, "He brought you out here to spend time with our family, you're … You're looking for a Christmas gift for him, for what? Just to dump him on the drive home and break his heart?"

Kurt's face hardened completely, any sign of emotion leaving so quickly it probably could have given him whiplash. He looked back down at his feet, giving a stiff nod, "No, yeah, you're right," He conceded, "Thanks for your, um, help. Well, I can take it from here," He said, taking a couple of steps backwards away from Blaine, "I'll text Cooper and ask him to come pick me up on his way home, you're off the hook. Thanks anyways."

"Kurt, wait-" Blaine began, but Kurt turned on his heel and continued to walk away, and he wasn't sure if he should follow after him or not. He stood, frozen in place until Kurt disappeared into another shop. 

He knew instantly that he was in the wrong, his onslaught of guilt from this morning and a protective sense over Cooper taking over. Blaine was pretty sure he had a good idea as to why Kurt was running the idea past him, at least he thought he did. If Kurt came to New York, and he was no longer in a relationship with Cooper, and of course Blaine would be there in the city and maybe, just maybe … Blaine let out a deep, defeated sigh out of his mouth, hanging his head as he returned to his car, lamenting the disastrous conversation and the outcome that could have been if he had reacted differently. 


	5. Chapter 5

There were two days until Christmas, and truthfully, Blaine was very much looking forward to getting home. The Christmas magic of the cottage was starting to wear off -- he was tired of sharing a bathroom with six other people and never ending up with enough hot water for his entire shower. He was tired of the snow, the small town, and yes, even his family. The previous day, after his altercation with Kurt, Blaine had been, for lack of a better word, sulking. He sat in silence as the family engaged in a Christmas cookie decorating contest, piping blue frosting onto his tree-shaped sweet (everyone else had already snatched up the available greens, _of course_ ) and avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone. Kurt was quiet too, the only time Blaine had heard him talk was when Cooper had commented on his silence, to which Kurt made a joke about being entirely too focused on winning the competition.

There ended up being no real winner, though Charlotte did give Blaine her seal of approval by biting off the stump of the tree. 

Pam and Blaine's two aunts, Bridget and Lucy, were making breakfast the next morning. Cooper was there also, sitting on the kitchen counter and eating an apple while the women bustled around the kitchen, preparing eggs, pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. Blaine hadn't felt much like running that morning, choosing instead to lounge in bed until his stomach gave him cause to want to get up. Most of the kids were playing outside, enjoying the warm weather they were still having. Blaine wandered up to the counter, leaning forward to relax against it.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Pam greeted, one hand resting on her hip and the other holding a spatula that she was using to flip the pancakes, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did, thanks," Blaine responded, raising a hand to rub a still-sleepy eye, "Everything smells delicious."

"Except for Lucy's bacon," Bridget teased, earning her a elbow to the ribs, "We had to open three windows, and it's a miracle the smoke alarms didn't go off," She further explained, bumping her hip against her Lucy's.

Lucy rolled her eyes, "In my defense, I never cook bacon on the stovetop, always in the oven. And some people like it really crispy anyways."

Blaine smiled, and struck up a conversation with Cooper about their plans for the talent show the following night. The conversation was interrupted by his mother's voice, "Oh, Blaine, I almost completely forgot to tell you!" She set the spatula down and wiped her hands on the skirt of the apron she wore, "You know Mr. and Mrs. Turner from down the street?" She didn't wait for a confirmation, otherwise Blaine would have informed her he had no idea who that was, "Well, their grandson just got into town, and, you know, he's the oldest of all of his cousins by quite a bit, and he remembered you from when you were kids so we thought how fun would it be for the two of you to get together while we're all here, right?" She suggested, and Blaine's eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Wait, wait, wait," Cooper was saying before Blaine could reply, holding both of his hands up with flat palms facing his mother. He looked entirely too amused, "You're not talking about "Pig Face", are you?"

"Cooper," Pam scolded, giving Cooper's shoulder a smack, "Stop it, that is rude."

Cooper threw his head back with a laugh, clapping his hands together a few times, "No way, this is too good. Blaine and Sebastian "Pig Face" Smythe?"

All of a sudden, it all came flooding back to Blaine. They were the same age growing up, and until Blaine's family stopped attending holidays at the cottage, all of the children of the neighborhood would play together all of the time. He remembered the young man, tall and skinny, boisterous and sharp. He did remember the way Sebastian's nose looked, wide but upturned at the tip, his nostrils large and prominent, the first thing you would notice on his face, "Mom!" came Blaine's sudden outburst, "What, you-you set me up on a date with him? I don't want to go!"

Cooper was still laughing, and Pam looked at Blaine with a disappointed look in her eyes, "Blaine," She scolded, "It doesn't have to be a date, you're just spending a little time with him! His grandmother says he's a very handsome young man these days."

"Of course she would say that, she's his grandmother!"

"Cooper!" Pam scolded, though she could see a little smile tugging at the corner of her lips as well. It seemed like she secretly found this almost as amusing as Cooper did, although she would never admit it, "Blaine, he's meeting you tonight at seven for drinks at O'Malley's."

"Mom, come on," Blaine continued, though he was starting to believe all of his complaints were futile.

"Blaine, it's fine," Cooper said, placing a hand on Blaine's shoulder, "Kurt and I'll come, we'll double."

Blaine raised both of his hands to drag down his face in frustration, letting out a little groan. He obviously couldn't communicate that the idea of going out on a blind date with his brother, his brother's boyfriend who Blaine was consequentially falling in love with, and a random man belonging to the nickname "Pig Face".

Nighttime brought the return of snow, and, unfortunately, Blaine's complaints for the impending date seemed to fall on deaf ears. The entire family, egged on by Cooper and Luke, had been slipping in jokes everywhere they could into the conversation. When Blaine had asked Eloise to pass the mashed potatoes at dinner, she had replied with, "Yeah, sure, when pigs fly," and when Blaine had emerged from his bedroom dressed for the date, Lucy had encouraged him to go "hog wild" on the date tonight. None of which Blaine found very amusing, even though everyone else in the room seemed to.

When Cooper had informed Kurt that they would be joining Blaine on the blind date tonight, he had seem less than enthused, but didn't decline. Blaine appreciated that Kurt had avoided making any jokes at his expense, though the silence between them seemed to grow more and more deafening as the day went on. He wished so badly that they hadn't gotten into their fight the previous day, that things could be more normal like they were previously. He could only hope it was for the best, that his feelings would start to dissipate. 

Blaine, Cooper, and Kurt all climbed into Cooper's rental car and began the drive to O'Malley's. It was one of only two bars in town, located only a few buildings down from the bookshop. Blaine reached up to loosen his bow-tie which was suddenly feeling a little too tight, his eyes lingering on the way Cooper's hand extended across the center console to rest on Kurt's knee. He almost didn't hear Cooper talking to him as they pulled out of the driveway, "You know, Blaine, Kurt has some friends out in LA that he could set you up with if you're ever in the city. Really good looking, a couple models, even. Right? Just in case Sebastian isn't the one."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, definitely," Kurt responded, turning his head from where he was gazing out of the window to smile softly at Cooper.

"Yeah, I don't know," was all Blaine could reply.

"Well, I have some ugly friends, too."

Blaine laughed, genuinely, and Kurt turned a little further in his seat to catch Blaine's eye, offering him a smile. That alone made one of the knots in his stomach untwist. 

Upon arriving at the bar, Cooper draped an arm around Kurt's shoulders as they walked inside. It was fairly quiet, a few groups scattered here and there, but not exactly busy. A jukebox beside the bar played "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money, no one was dancing, and Blaine was sure this was the saddest bar scene he had ever been involved in. There was no sign of Sebastian (as far as Blaine could tell, he wasn't quite sure what to expect), so Kurt and Blaine grabbed a table, and Cooper headed over to get drinks.

Blaine sat with his back facing the entrance to the bar, a seat open next to him that Kurt sat across from. "This bar sure is jumping, isn't it?" Kurt joked once they settled into their seats.

"Clearly the place to be tonight," Blaine responded, and they laughed together. A beat of silence passed, and then Blaine spoke up again, "Kurt, about yesterday-"

"Don't," Kurt interrupted, "You were right. We can just forget that it ever happened." 

He spoke so short and terse that Blaine knew immediately not to continue. He nodded, offering a half smile at Cooper who had returned to the table, three drinks in hand. He accepted his and wasted no time taking a sip. Cooper took his seat, wrapping his arm around the back of Kurt's chair and grinning across the table at Blaine, "You ready for this? Should we come up with a code word, so if you say it, we know to fake a sudden illness to go home? What about … "Swine"?"

Kurt gave Cooper's chest a light swat, though the laugh that passed his lips betrayed him, "That's terrible."

Cooper suddenly straightened up, his eyebrows raising as his eyes locked on the door, "You know what, Blaine … I don't think you're going to be needing that safe word."

Blaine turned in his chair, watching as a man entered the bar. He dusted a few snowflakes out of his hair, and when his eyes connected with Blaine's, a smirk crossed his lips as he headed straight towards them. He was tall and slim, with brown hair swept into a stylized pompadour. Gone was the awkward, gangly boy from Blaine's youth and with it, it seemed, took the upturned, protruding nostrils with it.

"Blaine Anderson," Sebastian greeted, "I would recognize you anywhere, that hairstyle hasn't changed a bit."

"Oh," Blaine laughed, raising a hand to graze over his gelled curls, and then falling to scratch the back of his neck, "Sebastian, it's good to see you again. You look great." They stood for a brief moment, staring at each other before a small clear of a throat from behind them broke Blaine's train of thought. He turned, taking a step back, "You remember my brother Cooper, and this is his boyfriend, Kurt."

"Hi," Sebastian greeted, giving the couple a nod before taking his seat at the table.

"Hey, man," Cooper greeted, and the look of amusement on his face had hardly changed. Kurt, on the other hand, didn't look amused any longer. His expression was foreign to Blaine, though he didn't look all too happy. He gave a disingenuous smile when he met Blaine's eyes, "Can I grab you a drink, Sebastian?" Cooper inquired, getting to his feet.

"Beer would be great."

Cooper nodded, walking away from the table. Kurt was the first person to speak, "So, Sebastian, what do you do?"

"I go to Columbia, in my last year of law school," Sebastian explained, a proud air about him as he did.

"Wow, that's very impressive," Blaine complimented, "And what kind of law do you plan on going into?"

Sebastian tilted his head from side to side, "I'm leaning towards Business, but there's always Civil Rights, too. I guess whatever seems the most fun, whoever will give me the most money when I graduate," He shrugged, turning in his chair to face Blaine. He reached out to set his hand on the back of Blaine's chair, "My grandmother mentioned you're a teacher. Adorable."

Cooper returned to the table, sliding Sebastian's drink along the table, and Sebastian accepted it without saying anything or taking his eyes off of Blaine. Blaine cleared his throat, "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I am, I don't know about the adorable thing. But, yeah."

"Crazy that we've both been in New York without managing to cross paths. You must not frequent the same establishments that I do."

"I suppose not," Blaine said with a short laugh, looking down at the table and then up quickly at Cooper and Kurt, who were watching them in silence. Kurt was still staring, jaw set a little bit harder than he was used to, "Cooper is, uh, about to start filming for _Days of Our Lives_ ," He said, hoping to take some of the attention off of himself.

"You don't say," Sebastian commented, though he sounded like he couldn't be less interested. He finally looked away from Blaine to the couple in front of them, "And what about you, Kyle?"

Kurt's eyes hardened, "Costume design."

Sebastian busied himself by taking another sip, "Fascinating," He commented dryly, "Very impressive you managed to swing a big star like Cooper. You must be thrilled."

There was something about the exchange that made the atmosphere uncomfortable. Blaine looked to Cooper who hadn't noticed, "Oh, I'm doing internal cartwheels," Kurt retorted, not missing a beat. They stared at each other, almost some sort of a challenge between them. 

Blaine cleared his throat, "Crazy that tomorrow is Christmas Eve, isn't it?" He interjected, but wasn't surprised when no ones gaze diverted to him, "Like, wow, wasn't it just summer?"

More silence followed. Sebastian looked away from Kurt's gaze, looking over at Blaine with a smirk, "Excuse me," He said, leaving his chair and making his way over to the jukebox, bending over slightly to flip through the selections. 

"Dude, I'm sorry, but what?" Cooper said once Sebastian was out of ear shot, "That is not the same "Pig-Face" we grew up with. You've gotta go for it, even if it's just for tonight," He looked over at Kurt who was taking a sip of his drink, "I mean, right?"

Kurt set his drink down, and wet his lips hesitantly before speaking, "I don't know. I don't think Blaine's interested in him. Plus," He reached up to tap a single finger against his nose, "I can tell."

It was with a thrill in his chest that Blaine realized what was happening. Kurt was jealous. He was jealous of Sebastian, the possibility that Blaine could be interested in him. He met Kurt's eyes, and raised his eyebrows, "I'm not?"

"I don't think so," Kurt challenged.

Blaine didn't hesitate -- He got to his feet, taking a long sip of his drink before heading over to the jukebox and Sebastian, wasting no time in joining him on the otherwise empty dance floor. He didn't bother looking over towards Kurt and Cooper, he knew that Kurt was watching him. 

And maybe, he liked being on the other side of things for once.

Only thirty minutes later, Cooper was waiting outside of the restroom where Kurt had walked into a moment ago. He was staring down, transfixed on his phone, but waved Blaine over once they met eyes. Blaine broke away from Sebastian, and the small group of people who had joined them.

"Hey, do you need a rescue?" Cooper asked, though his tone was playful, like maybe he already knew what the answer was, "Kurt and I are ready to head out. I'm sure Sebastian would be happy to bring you home, though," He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Yeah, I'm probably ready … " Blaine carried off, stopping short when Cooper's eyes returned to his phone, scanning over a text message and a smirk raising to his lips, "Is Kurt texting you from the bathroom? You really can't be apart for two minutes?"

Cooper didn't reply as he typed out a reply, before looking back up at Blaine and shrugging it off, "Not Kurt. One of my new co-workers, Mandy."

Blaine hesitated, his eyebrows narrowing in confusion, "Oh, okay. Just talking about the show?"

"Come on, Squirt," Cooper commented with a little roll of his eyes. He looked back to his phone, and from Blaine's position he was positive he saw a few winking face emojis, and was that the heart-eye emoji? "Don't sweat it. Are you coming or what?"

Kurt emerged from the bathroom, Cooper stashing his phone quickly into his pocket and holding up Kurt's coat to help him into it. Blaine looked back and forth between them, before shaking his head, "You guys go ahead," He said, not sure what to say or how to feel in the moment, "Don't wait up."

With a final hesitant look, Kurt turned on his heel and walked out of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read, left kudos, and commented so far! You guys really make my world go around. I had so much inspiration for this chapter going in and then hit the worst writer's block when it came to writing it. But just so you guys know, this will be Sebastian's one and only appearance in this fic.   
> Only two more chapters to go + the epilogue! Thank you so so much for all your support. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm offering my apologies for how late this chapter is coming to you, I have been so caught up in the United States election. Writing this chapter has been a great distraction for me, and I hope it can be a bit of a respite for those of you who may have been equally submerged in it all.

"Pick a card, any card!" 

The annual talent show was well underway, and Blaine was watching in amusement as Luke fanned a deck of cards out in his hands for Kurt, who had been chosen to assist the magic trick. Kurt drummed his fingers thoughtfully against his lips before plucking a card out of the bunch and holding it to his chest.

"Okay, show it to everyone," Luke instructed, closing his eyes intensely and shuffling the remaining cards as Kurt walked in front of the crowd, showing off the five of hearts to everyone.

The family was squashed onto two couches, five chairs from the kitchen, and the floor in the living room, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder to make room for everyone, though it was still rather uncomfortable. It was getting late, mostly everyone had already shown off their talents but Blaine had yet to go. Baby Jack's talent had been saying his first word (Mama) even though he'd already been saying it for weeks, Uncle Steve had shown his favorite technique for staining a wooden chair, and Pam had shown off to everyone that she still remembered a sideline cheer from her days of collegiate cheerleading, accompanied with pom-poms and everything. The overwhelming favorite so far had been Charlotte's shadow puppets, and Blaine's least favorite was his 12 year-old second cousin, Benji, who had wanted to show off his new skateboarding trick, the Caveman. The family had all gathered in the driveway to watch Benji's attempt in the garage. It had been cold and Benji didn't actually do the trick successfully, so it was an unfortunate outing.

The events of the previous night had been weighing heavily on Blaine. Sebastian's company was enjoyable enough, he certainly wasn't Blaine's type but after a week of pining over someone and having to watch them be involved with his brother, it was a bit of a relief to have someone show an interest in him. It was a bit shameless, really. They hadn't stayed at the bar much longer after Cooper and Kurt took their exit, though if Sebastian had it his way they would have stayed all night and through the morning as well. Sebastian had been polite enough to give Blaine a ride back to the cottage, and Blaine had managed to slip out of the car without an obligatory goodnight kiss. 

As Blaine laid in bed that night, he studied the popcorn ceiling and contemplated the events of his Christmas holiday. When he had first met Kurt at the bookstore, he had been instantly taken by the other man. Upon the realization that Kurt was in a relationship with Cooper, the feelings he had should have dissipated, but they didn't. They only grew more and more as they continued to get to know each other. Blaine truthfully believed that Kurt was starting to reciprocate those feelings, bolstered when Kurt began to tell him about the possibility of him moving to New York. It had been guilt and a little bit of shame that had caused Blaine to snap the way he did at Kurt, scolding him for the treatment of Cooper when in reality he had wanted to burst into song at the idea of Kurt's relationship coming to an end and getting to live in the same city with him.

The biggest thing causing Blaine to lose sleep was the possibility of what he could have seen on Cooper's phone upon leaving the bar. A quick google search of Mandy brought up pictures of a beautiful blonde, a recent article by _People_ of her year long relationship coming to an end, and even an article mentioning "hot-shot newcomer Cooper Anderson" and whether or not his character and Mandy's might share a few steamy upcoming scenes. Surely, the exchange could have been entirely innocent, but then again ...

Cooper hadn't exactly had the best track record when it came to relationships. He had been unfaithful to partners before, and most of his relationships hadn't lasted longer than a season. As Cooper had been getting older, he had admitted to Blaine that he was trying to mature and settle down, as he was ready to find someone to spend his life with. After the conversation they had in the kitchen, Blaine had admitted to himself that it seemed like Cooper was thinking Kurt might fill that role. It had been absolutely gutting. But now, Blaine wasn't so sure.

Luke had taken Kurt's card back and reshuffled it back into a deck, doing a few extra shuffles here and there before flipping the top card over, beaming extremely confidently, "Is _this_ your card?"

It was the ace of spades. Kurt gave a hesitant look to the audience, before shaking his head awkwardly. 

Luke's face fell, and as the room rose into laughter, he held up his hands defensively, "Okay, okay, laugh it up," He said sarcastically, setting the deck of cards down on the piano and walking back to his seat, "I'm an insurance broker, not a magician. Okay?"

Everyone laughed a little bit harder.

Cooper was next, and he sprung to his feet with excitement to stand at the head of the room and begin his talent. Kurt was with him, clutching a rolled up stack of papers. He had accompanied many of the performances so far tonight (a hazing ritual into the family, probably) and Cooper's was no exception. Upon unrolling the papers, Blaine was able to recognize that it was a script, as he was all too familiar with running lines with his older brother. 

"As many of you should know by now, I, Cooper Anderson, have finally been recognized for my exceptional talent and will be filming _Days of Our Lives_ starting in January," Cooper explained, though there was no need for the introduction (everyone had heard Cooper's spiel already), "Tune in Monday through Friday, airing dates TBD," He peppered in, "As I have received my first script, I figured I would grace you all with a sneak peek into the life of one Chip Albertine," Cooper beamed, gesturing for Kurt to begin. 

Kurt flipped the script open, cheeks slightly pink as he cleared his throat and began to speak, "Dr. Chip-"

"By the way," Cooper interrupted, causing Kurt to stop short, "Kurt will be playing the iconic role, Pippa Ziegler, played by Mandy Charles," Blaine straightened a little in his seat at the mention of the name, "Surely, I would have invited a female to play the role, but we share quite a steamy kiss at the end, and you are all my relatives."

Kurt stared at Cooper for a moment, before Cooper waved for him to begin again, "Dr. Chip, please tell me you have gotten the results back from my mother's MRI."

Cooper was extremely focused and in character, he had already memorized his lines and he pretended to read off of what Blaine assumed was to be a pretend paper medical chart, "I'm afraid I don't have better news, Pippa," He said intensely, and Blaine had to swallow back a bubble of laughter at the absurdity of it all, "As I went to investigate the scan, it appears ... Her results have been stolen."

The scene went on for a little bit longer than the family cared to watch (though Aunt Lucy was a die-hard soap fan and was watching on the edge of her seat), and after Kurt's character admitted that she suspected her long lost twin sister to be the one that stole the results, Cooper swept Kurt dramatically into his arms, dipped him and gave him an intense kiss on the lips. Blaine had to look down at his lap.

Kurt and Cooper clasped hands and gave a dramatic bow to the crowd, everyone bursting into applause. Blaine joined in, trying to appear as enthusiastic as possible, though he hoped that someday he would have a similar brain injury to Pippa's mother and forget about any kiss he ever watched Kurt and his brother exchange.

Eloise, who was hosting the talent show, rose to her feet and took her place at the head of the room, "Last, but certainly not least, we have the musical stylings of one Mr. Blaine Devon Anderson," She introduced, and Blaine rose nervously to his feet as the room broke out into rousing applause.

With a clear of his throat, Blaine took a seat on the piano bench, causing a small 'whoop' of excitement from Cooper, who had taken his seat beside Kurt, one arm wrapped around his shoulders. He gave a fake half-bow to the crowd, causing a small laugh to ripple through his family. His fingers stretched subconsciously, feeling nerves coarse through his veins. He didn't perform much these days, especially not for adults, and his nerves had come to a head now that the performance had arrived. He tried to encourage himself by remembering his third graders were always very encouraging.

Another clear of his throat, and as his fingers began to move across the keys slowly and thoughtfully, the room filled with the familiar tune.

He didn't have sheet music, and he didn't need to stare at the keys, he would know them in his sleep. Instead, he stared straight ahead, looking at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree as he began to sing, "I'll have a blue Christmas without you … I'll be so blue just thinking about you," He sang, finding himself letting out a shaky breath as he paused. He had adapted the original tune and slowed it down. Around him, he felt as if his family faded into the background. He tried, really tried, to prevent himself from looking over to where Kurt sat, but he really couldn't help himself. He looked to his right, locking into Kurt's gentle blue gaze. 

He was smiling at him, a private smile that Blaine felt like Kurt saved just for him, "Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree, won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me," Blaine sang, and he was singing for Kurt and only Kurt, "And when those blue snowflakes start fallin', that's when those blue memories start callin'. You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white, oh, but I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas."

Kurt wasn't smiling anymore. It had faded slowly as the performance continued. Blaine didn't know why, and the realization made him miss a key. He looked to his hands, trying to refocus and center himself, taking a deep breath through his nose before he sang the last few words of the song, "You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white ... But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas," He summoned his courage and looked back up to meet Kurt's eyes. 

The final notes from the piano seemed to hang in the silence that followed. Blaine refused to look away from Kurt until the other man did so first. Kurt held his gaze for only another brief second, before he looked over to Cooper and raised his hands to begin a hesitant clap. The kids, seated on the floor in front of the couch, joined in shortly after and soon everyone else was clapping, but it wasn't the same applause everyone else had been met with. It was hesitant, awkward, everyone exchanged glances with each other with raised eyebrows. Blaine looked around the room at everyone, swallowed back his embarrassment and stood up. When he looked at his brother, Cooper wasn't clapping. He wasn't smiling. He was staring transfixed at Blaine, his jaw set tight. Dread dropped into the pit of Blaine's stomach, hot and heavy and hard. 

"Okay, everyone!" Pam announced, clapping her hands together as she stood up, crossing over to Blaine and setting a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you to everyone for participating, I think it's time to get ready for bed! Santa can't come until we're all asleep, right?" Her hand wrapped around Blaine's bicep, holding it a little tighter than he was used to, and as the crowd began to disperse, she turned and gave him a glowering stare, "I have some last minute wrapping to do, Blaine, care to help me?"

Blaine didn't look around at anyone around him, remaining pliable and allowing for himself to be directed up the stairs and into his mother's room, but he felt several pairs of eyes following him up the stairs. He rubbed anxiously at his jaw, watching Pam hesitantly as she took a seat at the end of her bed, "Blaine ..." She began, "Tell me that you weren't singing that song for your brother's boyfriend."

He had been expecting that question, but the confirmation was enough to make Blaine's heart drop down into the pit of his stomach. He had been hoping that everyone had given him lukewarm applause because he had done really badly or accidentally messed up every single word without knowing it. Was it that obvious to every single person in the room that Blaine had been singing to Kurt?

Blaine sat down beside his mom, "You remember the first night we were here? I told you about how I had met someone at the bookshop?" 

Pam's eyebrows narrowed, and she nodded slowly.

"It was Kurt."

Concern and a flicker of sorrow crossed his mother's face. Blaine couldn't hold the words back any longer, and he began to pour out the entire story, everything from their conversation at the bookstore, to almost kissing while watching Meet Me in St Louis and ending with the awkward double date. He left out any mention of Cooper's possible inappropriate text messages with his co-worker. He wasn't trying to throw Cooper under the bus or try to justify any of his own actions by villainizing Cooper. 

Pam remained quiet the entire time, though she rested her hand on Blaine's knee comfortingly as he found himself choking up, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he told her about rejecting Kurt's idea of coming to New York. It remained there for the rest of his story.

Blaine tried to catch his breath as he ended his story, feeling like he had talked a mile a minute for far too long. It felt like an overwhelming relief to get it off of his chest. He had confided in Eloise a little bit, but nothing as of recently and he felt like he had been carrying the world on his shoulders. "Oh, sweetheart," Pam cooed, wrapping her arms around Blaine and pulling him into an embrace. He allowed her to do so, tucking his head into her and closing his eyes. They embraced for a long moment, before Blaine pulled back and wiped his eyes. 

"Do ... Do you think that Kurt has feelings for you as well?" Pam asked carefully, almost like she was afraid to hear the answer.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders, rubbing his forehead, "Sometimes I think he really does. When he talked to me about coming to New York, I thought he had to. But now I'm not so sure. And could he ever do that to Cooper? Could _I_ ever do that to Cooper?"

They were interrupted by a timid knock on the door, and as Pam called for them to come in, Savannah poked her head inside and offered them a slight smile, "Uncle Steve is going to read everyone _'Twas the Night Before Christmas_ ... Do you want to join us?"

Blaine nodded, wiping his eyes one more time and they exited the bedroom to head back downstairs. The kids were all bathed and dressed in their Christmas Eve pajamas (a Christmas tradition), gathered around Uncle Steve who was sitting in a rocking chair, glasses on and book sprawled across his knees. A plate of cookies and glass of milk sat on the piano, waiting for Santa, and the room was lit up by the Christmas tree. Cooper and Kurt stood in a far corner, not talking, not even looking at each other. Neither of them looked at Blaine as he walked in either.

Eloise came up to Blaine, wrapping her free arm that wasn't holding Jack around his waist and tilted her head against Blaine's shoulder. Blaine's arms were crossed tightly across his chest, but he rested his head gently on top of hers. 

Steve cleared his throat loudly, and began reading in a dramatic voice, "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there ..."


	7. Chapter 7

Christmas morning brought the sound of giggling up and down the hallway outside of Blaine's room where he stared up at the ceiling, wondering if he'd be able to get away with leaving the cottage early and spending the day on the road back home. Blaine had been kicking himself the entire night as he replayed the events in his head. He couldn't believe that he had lost all inhibitions and practically confessed his feelings for his brother's boyfriend, short of hopping on top of the piano and exclaiming to the entire room that he was madly in love with him.

A knock on his door and a gentle reminder of "Present time!" from his mother pushed Blaine out from under the warmth and protection of his covers and to trudge down to the family room to open presents with the family. There were so many of them, and so many children that asking to open gifts one at a time wasn't feasible. Most of the kids had already dumped the contents of their stockings into their laps, beginning to snack on candy or admiring small trinkets left to them by Santa Claus. Blaine sat on a kitchen stool pushed haphazardly against the piano, looking through his own stocking that his mother had prepared for him, filled to the brim with some of his favorite candies and a Prince of Wales tartan bow tie. He thanked her profusely, kissing her cheek and passing her a small, delicately wrapped box that would reveal a Tiffany's blue box when the paper was torn away.

Blaine opened two more bowties from Eloise and Clare, a large four-wick candle that smelled like cypress and pine from his aunts and uncles, and _Hamilton_ tickets from Cooper, who gave him a curt nod when Blaine thanked him, clearly not quite ready to talk to him yet. Blaine didn't mind. 

In turn, Blaine watched Eloise and Clare open a gift certificate to a spa near where they lived and a bow-tie that matched one that Blaine had for Jack. He also watched his mom open a new iPad that he and Cooper had gone in on together and Cooper unwrap the whiskey glasses accompanied by a Lagavulin bottle, his favorite. Cooper didn't say thank you, but raised the bottle in acknowledgement. 

Kurt was nervously holding three wrapped packages, and he stood to pass them out to Pam, Cooper, and than to Blaine. 

"Kurt, you're so sweet, you didn't need to get us anything!" Pam commented, admiring the flawless green wrapping, each tied with a golden ribbon. 

Kurt waved her comment off and sat back down, thumbing the hem of the scarf he wore, his gift from Cooper. "It's nothing, really, I'm just … Very grateful to have been here and been able to spend the holidays with your family. I've enjoyed myself very much."

Blaine watched as Pam smiled, and they all carefully peeled back the wrapping, too gorgeous to just tear into. It was a picture frame, Blaine observed, and he turned the frame around so that he could see the picture inside. He saw his mother, Cooper, and a very young version of himself staring back at him in the photo. It was here, Blaine realized, that the picture was taken. They were out on the beach, the cottage a blurry blip in the upper right corner. Pam was crouching by the water in a white sundress and Panama hat. Blaine was sitting in her lap, clad in suspenders and a bow tie, grinning a broad, toothless smile at the camera. Cooper stood behind Pam, his arms wrapped around her neck. Pam was laughing, one hand wrapped around Blaine and the other holding tight to Cooper's arm around her. The sight of the picture made Blaine's eyes well with tears.

The Anderson family really didn't do family pictures, and when they did they were very stiff. They would wear all black, sit formally with polite smiles on. This was a jarring juxtaposition, a photo he had never seen before. Pam had a hand raised to her lips, holding back a couple of tears herself, "Oh, this is wonderful," She said quietly, looking up at Kurt who looked more relaxed now that he knew they enjoyed the picture, "Where did you find this?"

"It was in one of the photo albums in the living room," Kurt explained, "I thought it was so beautiful."

Cooper's tense shoulders had a loosened a little, and he gave Kurt a kiss on the temple.

"It is beautiful, Kurt. Thank you," Blaine said sincerely, offering him a tender smile that was effortlessly reciprocated.

A large breakfast was served after every last present under the tree had been unwrapped, and most of the day was left to enjoy presents and prepare for the evening. The cottage was home to a rather grand, formal Christmas night soirée for the other families they had come to know through the years. It had been annoying when he was a kid, as it meant putting his toys away, putting on a suit, and eating fancy foods that he didn't particularly like. Now, however, he was dreading it for a couple of other reasons. One in particular being that there wouldn't be anywhere to hide from his family's prying eyes.

Blaine had gotten the short end of the stick and was stuck with the last shower before the party. He could hear the chatter from downstairs growing louder as more guests arrived as he got ready in front of the mirror, possibly going a little overboard with the gel as he often did when he felt nervous. He adjusted the tartan bowtie his mother had given him one final time before heading downstairs. 

There were lots of unfamiliar faces scattered amongst his family and the few people he did still remember from his childhood Christmases spent in the small town, and he made sure to smile brightly as he joined the crowd, shaking hands and learning new names. He was making his way slowly to the kitchen, stopping every now and then to mingle with the attendees of the party. He was talking to an older man who had been good friends with his grandfather before his passing a few years back when he spotted Sebastian looking as if he was making his way towards him over the man's shoulder.

As politely as possible, Blaine cut him off, "I am so sorry, do you mind if I catch up with you in a few minutes? I just spotted my mother looking like she needs some help in the kitchen." 

Before the man could accept his excuse, Blaine quickly maneuvered his way around the crowd and into the kitchen, hopefully disappearing out of Sebastian's sight so he wouldn't be followed in. Truthfully, his mom wasn't in the kitchen, but as Blaine made his way inside he saw that the only person who was in there was Cooper. He was leaning up against the kitchen island, eyes focused on his phone as his thumbs moved quickly across the keys. He didn't seem to notice Blaine walk in.

Blaine wasn't sure exactly where it came from, they easily could have shared the kitchen without having to speak until one of them decided to rejoin the party. He knew Cooper was mad at him, and anything he said would was bound to make it all much, much worse.

"Let me guess. Mandy?"

Cooper didn't hesitate, "Don't even start with me," He warned, standing up straight and pocketing his phone. He moved around the kitchen and made to walk out. 

Blaine grabbed onto his brother's arm, "You know what, no," He said, "I am going to start, because I'm not going to let you get away with treating Kurt like this-"

"Oh my God," Cooper exclaimed, his voice raising significantly, and he jabbed a finger into Blaine's chest, "Don't you dare even talk to me about how I'm "treating" people when we both know _exactly_ what you've been doing this entire trip and you didn't even have the fucking guts to come and talk to me about it."

Blaine recoiled slightly, watching as Cooper pushed the swinging door to the kitchen open and disappeared back out to the party. He couldn't stop himself. He stormed through the door shortly after Cooper did, "You don't even love him!"

Cooper didn't miss a beat, "Oh, okay, and you do?"

The room had fallen silent. Every conversation ceased and people were turning around to look at the fight unfold before them. Blaine's hands were balled into fists as he stared at his brother, and he was speaking before he could fully acknowledge the scene they were making, "I do," He exclaimed, his shoulders falling at the weight of the admission being lifted from them, "Okay? I am so unbelievably, entirely in love with him and every second since I've met him I can't believe my own goddamn bad luck that you found him first!"

For the first time in the entire argument, Cooper looked at a loss for words. Blaine was staring at him, chest heaving. He felt every single pair of eyes in the room on him, but he didn't want to back down. He held Cooper's gaze, watched as his brother's eyes slowly filled with sadness. He broke the gaze first, looking over at the far corner of the room, and Blaine followed his gaze to a shocked Kurt, who was holding the stem of a champagne glass with a vice-like grip, his knuckles white. Cooper looked back to Blaine, before shaking his head, his face angry as he turned and stalked out of the room, disappearing up the stairs. 

A hand curled its way around Blaine's upper arm, pulling him back towards the kitchen as one of his flustered uncles called for the party to resume. It sounded like his voice came from miles and miles away. Blaine allowed himself to be pliable, to be redirected back towards the kitchen. It was Eloise, whose flushed cheeks matched the formal pink dress she wore. He leaned over the table once they reached the kitchen, holding his head in his hands.

Eloise didn't say much, she rubbed his back lightly and murmured words of encouragement. They stayed there for what felt like forever, until the party had died down a few hours later and the aunts and uncles were beginning to clean up. Some avoided eye contact with him, others gave him a pat on the shoulder or a sympathetic word. Blaine just wanted to go back upstairs, disappear underneath the duvet on his bed and stay there until every other person had left the cottage. He felt embarrassed, like he had ruined the entire party, but more so he felt guilt. He had hurt so many people.

Pam entered the kitchen, holding a large platter that once held a Christmas ham Uncle Steve had spent all day baking, now only holding a bit of garnish. She set the platter down, wiped her hands on a dish towel and walked over to Blaine, her heels clacking against the linoleum flooring. She encouraged him to go upstairs, maybe it'd be a good idea to lay low for a while. He didn't argue. Bow tie undone and hanging loosely around his neck, Blaine trudged slowly up the stairs, avoiding eye contact with everyone as he went. As he passed Cooper and Kurt's room, he found the door open. Cooper was sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped together in front of him. Cooper didn't look up, but he spoke as Blaine stopped in front of his doorway.

"Kurt left. He said to tell you goodbye."

Blaine closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling a head ache creeping in, "Coop, I-"

"Just go, Blaine," Cooper breathed, finally looking up to meet Blaine's eyes, "It's okay. Go after him."

Blaine hesitated, waited for Cooper to take it back. But he didn't. Cooper offered him the weakest of smiles, and Blaine's heart ached in that moment for his brother. 

"Seriously. Go."

In an instant, Blaine was turning on his heel, running down the stairs and bursting through the front door to a blizzard raging outside.

Blaine's eyes searched around in the dark for any sign of Kurt. Truthfully, he didn't have to look very far. Kurt was standing at the bottom of the driveway, looking practically unfazed by the harshly swirling snow, phone in his hand, "Wait!" He called out, and the pale man turned over his shoulder, a deep frown on his features. Only the moon and the flickering porch light lit his path. Blaine broke out into a slow jog, mindful of the ice and snow beneath his Oxfords, making it even slicker, "I love you, Kurt. Please ... Please don't go."

"Blaine," Kurt breathed out, though Blaine could hardly hear him over the sound of the wind.

Cheeks wet with tears (when he began crying, Blaine wasn't sure) and stinging from the snowflakes bouncing against them, Blaine reached forward to cup Kurt's face in his hands. Kurt's eyes closed, and he leaned his cheek gently into Blaine's gentle hold. His own gloved fingers held onto the hem of Blaine's suit jacket. They allowed their foreheads to connect, and as Kurt opened his eyes to meet Blaine's, love coursed through Blaine's entire body. He wanted so badly to close the remaining gap, press his lips to Kurt's, hold him even closer, to never let go. But Kurt was shaking his head, "I can't. I have to go. This is ... It's too much."

Blaine swallowed, hands loosening as Kurt took a step backwards. A pair of headlights shone in their direction from a small distance away, driving slowly to avoid any slick spots on the road. He nodded, at a loss for words. Kurt stared at him sadly, and Blaine knew the sadness he was feeling was shared by the other man. 

"I'm sorry," Kurt said, his voice more sincere than Blaine had ever heard it, "I made such a mess of everything. I hurt Cooper and you and I ruined your family's holiday. I never meant-"

"No, Kurt, it was me. I'm the one that should be sorry."

The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the driveway of the cottage, and Kurt glanced over his shoulder at it. He lifted his hand in a quick gesture to let the car know he was the one they were there to pick up, before turning back to Blaine and giving him a small, sad smile. The driver of the car got out to help Kurt load his suitcase in the trunk, and Blaine watched numbly from the driveway. As Kurt opened the rear passenger side door, he gave Blaine a final look, raising a hand in a wave goodbye, "Merry Christmas, Blaine."

Blaine took a deep breath, swallowed the urge to beg him one last time to stay, and then waved back, "Merry Christmas."

He didn't move as Kurt climbed into the car and buckled his seatbelt. He didn't move when he heard the car shift back into gear, and began its slow descent back down the quiet, snow covered road. He didn't want to turn around and walk back into the house until he had to, until the car was out of view, his socks were wet from the snow, and his fingers felt frostbitten. 

The car was only halfway down the street when the bright red brake lights flashed. Blaine's heart skipped a beat. He watched as the door Kurt was nearest to opened, and Kurt was stepping out of it. Blaine didn't wait -- He broke out into a jog, slow and careful like before but with more urgency in his step. Kurt was walking quickly towards him as well, and came to a stop when they were within arms reach of each other.

Blaine waited, his heart pounding in his chest, and Kurt looked as though he was summoning every inch of his courage before he finally uttered, "I was just wondering ... What you're doing for New Years."

He wasn't sure what exactly happened next, whether he went in first or if Kurt did. Blaine broke into the largest smile he could remember for the entire trip, but it didn't last long as his lips finally -- _finally_ \-- found Kurt's. His hands found themselves back on Kurt's cheeks, warmer than before, but just barely, from the heater in the car. Kurt's arms wrapped around him, caressing his back. Their lips glided together smoothly, overlapping with Blaine's bottom lip caressed tenderly between Kurt's. It wasn't exactly perfect. Blaine's lips were chapped, and their noses bumped together slightly as they deepened the kiss. But it was everything.

As they reluctantly separated, they wore identical smiles. Blaine swept a stray hair off of Kurt's forehead, and Kurt stuttered out a couple of reasons why he had to go. They parted, with the promise that Kurt would see him soon, for New Years Eve. As Kurt climbed back into the car and once again took off down the street, Blaine watched him go, numb from the cold and Kurt's kiss, and knew if he had to go back to the beginning and fall in love with Kurt all over again, he would do it in a heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys!! We made it. I have had so much fun writing this short little holiday fic, and I hope you guys had fun reading it! Thank you so much to everyone who followed along with me every step of the way. I genuinely don't think I could have done it without you.  
> We still have the epilogue to go, so look for that in the next couple of days! Thank you all again, I adore you to bits!


	8. Chapter 8

A fresh blanket of snow adorned the ground outside of the family cottage, white and unblemished, just begging to be played in. No one had ventured outside yet since the whiteout that occurred the prior day, but as the children felt more and more antsy from spending the day in front of the TV, they were donning their coats, gloves, and scarves and heading outside to make snow angels, snow people, maybe even have a snowball fight. It wasn't long before the front yard was lit up by the sounds of giggling, cousins playing together for the first time on their holiday vacation. 

Clare stood at the top of the porch, wrapped tightly in her puffy yellow coat, watching as two-year-old Jack grabbed a fistful of snow and brought it to his mouth, hardly minding that the snow mostly stuck to his gloves. "Mama, it's good!" He yelled without looking back at his mom, who replied with a seasoned "good, Jack!" that she probably had said thousands of times already. Eloise was inside, relaxing in front of the fireplace with a book on pregnancy. The sixth she'd read so far, Eloise knew the more information she had the better. They had gone the donor route this time around, and were delighted to be giving Jack a baby sister in May. 

Luke gave Clare a smile as he walked past her, arms filled with chopped wood to keep the fire raging for the rest of the night. She returned the smile before turning her attention back to the kids. In the background, she saw a familiar Station Wagon roll slowly down the road, and felt her face break out into a smile, "Pam!" She called out over her shoulder, "They're here!"

Pam looked up over the rims of her glasses in the direction of the front door as she heard her name being called, and she smiled excitedly. Although part of her wanted to throw on shoes and her coat and run out to greet them in the driveway, the bigger, more convincing side told her to wait in the cozy warm kitchen. She closed the cookbook she had been pouring over, trying to find a new dessert for the Christmas night soirée. Not long after, her youngest son was bursting through the door, a huge smile on his face and arms laden with already wrapped presents. He set them down on the floor beside the kitchen counter, and rushed forward to wrap his arms around her, "Hi mom!" He said softly into her hair, and she rocked him back and forth enthusiastically.

"Hello, sweetheart," She greeted in turn, and as they parted Blaine shrugged his coat off, draping it onto the back of one of the kitchen chairs, "How was the drive?"

"Not bad at all," Blaine said, "The flight from Lima to New York was probably harder, if I'm being honest," He admitted, picking up a paper grocery bag from the stack of presents he had brought in, "I got the oat milk like you asked," He said, beginning to load them into the refrigerator, "Since when is Coop off dairy? He insisted we take him to Serendipity 3 last month and he finished his own frozen hot chocolate and a little bit of mine."

"Don't ask him or he'll spend twenty five minutes talking about phlegm and kissing and constricting your vocal chords, I made that mistake last night on the phone with him."

"The phone? He isn't here yet?"

"You know your brother," Pam said as she pushed her glasses back onto her nose, "He missed both of his flights yesterday. He's on the plane now, though."

Blaine laughed, "We told him to fly to New York and come drive up with us. But he made sure I knew that Soap Opera stars exclusively fly, and exclusively get little black cars to pick them up at the airport. We didn't quite fit the bill."

"Not to mention we told him he had to limit himself to just two bags," another voice chimed in as they walked into the kitchen. Kurt strode in, setting the frozen turkey they had picked up on the kitchen table, and moved to wrap Pam in a tight embrace.

"Oh it's so good to see you," Pam said as she squeezed the taller man tightly, "Did you find your room?"

As they parted, Kurt made his way over to Blaine, handing him his phone that he had accidentally left in the car, "Yes, thank you," He smiled, looking back at Blaine as the younger man snaked his arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him close.

"Kurt, please tell me you know the recipe of that Black Forest Chocolate Torte that Carole made for Thanksgiving?" Pam asked, looking up at Kurt with a plea in her eyes, "It would be just perfect for the party this year, and also I'll take any excuse to eat it again."

Kurt was quick to remove his phone from his pocket, "Let me call her. They shouldn't have left yet, their flight to Bora Bora isn't for a couple of hours still."

He stepped out of the room to place the call, and Blaine excused himself from his mother to go and visit with Eloise, who set her book down for the first time that afternoon to give him a hug and ask about their drive. Eloise and Clare had come to visit Blaine in New York in October, where they announced their pregnancy, and though they texted fairly frequently and kept up with each other on Instagram, they couldn't wait to catch up.

Blaine wanted to know everything about how the pregnancy was going, if they'd picked out any names, how Jack was feeling. Eloise wanted to know all about Kurt and Blaine's relationship, their new apartment, and the off-Broadway plays he was planning on auditioning for next year. As Kurt joined them in the living room, Eloise forgot entirely about Blaine and immediately engaged him in conversation, "We watched the Radio City Christmas Spectacular last night, the whole family!" She exclaimed, "Kurt, the costumes?" She pretended to fan herself, "The Santa dresses literally stole the entire show. Did you really design that all by yourself?"

Kurt's cheeks were a little pink, but he was beaming with so much confidence. He sat down and immediately began to explain his thought process behind updating the old costumes while still holding onto the traditional integrity that made the Rockettes so beloved. Blaine watched as his boyfriend spoke, thinking about how many times he had heard this story but knowing he would listen to it over and over again, as long as it was Kurt telling it.

The family had waited for them to arrive before decorating the tree. Uncle Steve strung the lights onto the tree while the littles strung popcorn with the help of the aunts. Blaine, Kurt, Luke, and Clare were sorting through the ornaments, deciding which to decorate the tree with this year as they had so many. Blaine had wanted to do the red and green, while Luke and Clare had wanted to go more muted with gold. Kurt was deemed the tie breaker, and his suggestion of the red and gold together was all too easy to agree on.

They were down to the last few bulbs to hang when the front door swung open, and Cooper swept in, tall and handsome, a huge smile on his face and a Santa hat hanging lopsided on his head, "Ho ho ho, family!" He greeted, being enveloped into hugs by his family. He didn't hesitate to wrap one arm around Blaine and the other around Kurt, pulling them in and squeezing them tightly, "What's up Squirt and Kurt?" He greeted.

Blaine and Kurt laughed, giving him warm hugs back before moving out of the embrace, "It's about time you showed your face around here, Coop," Blaine chided, which Cooper just waved off.

"I can't help that I get hounded by the paps when I go to the airport, okay? I don't fly first class, I'm just like everyone else. Sometimes you can't make it to your gate on time!"

Blaine only smiled, knowing in the back of his mind that if Cooper had said that this time last year, he would have wanted to wipe the smirk off of his older brother's face with a hit at Cooper's actual level of fame. But as he caught Kurt's eye, he was reminded of what was really important.

"Cooper, we saved the most beautiful ornament for you," Kurt said, presenting the intricate golden angel, offering it to the older Anderson brother. 

"Don't mind if I do," Cooper said, stepping forward to hang the ornament from the perfect branch. 

Blaine moved over to Kurt, giving him a quick kiss before pulling him in close, arm tight around his waist. 

Uncle Steve plugged the tree into the socket as Cooper hung the ornament. Cooper took a step back, slung his arm around Blaine's neck and the family sat back to admire their work. Blaine looked from his mom, to his brother, and finally to his boyfriend, his mind wandering to the carefully wrapped velvet ring box tucked away in a pair of his socks in their luggage upstairs so that Kurt wouldn't accidentally come across it. He squeezed him a little closer, whispered an 'I love you' to which Kurt kissed his temple and responded that he loved him too. 

It was bound to be the best Christmas yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a broken record, but thank you truly to everyone who has followed along this little fic! Just so you guys know, I have a few ideas for one shots that I want to roll out the next month or so up until Christmas, so keep an eye out for those! Particularly Kurt and Blaine's New Years Eve date, a little fic about Cooper coming around to accept and encourage their relationship, and maybe a few scenes from Kurt's POV. If any of you have any suggestions, please leave them down in the comments. Happy holidays, everyone! :)


End file.
